G308A tumor necrosis factor-α gene polymorphism and depression in an open male population aged 25–64 years from Novosibirsk (an epidemiological study according to the WHO MONICA-psychosocial program)

Abstract

Objective : to investigate the association of G308A tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (rs1800629) gene polymorphism with depression in an open male population aged 25–64 years in Novosibirsk. Patients and methods . The investigation was conducted within the framework of the WHO MONICA-psychosocial (Multinational Monitoring of Trends and Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease) program using the material of Screening III of a representative sample of 25–64-yearold men (n=657; mean age, 44.3±0.4 years; response rate, 82.1%) from an open Novosibirsk population in 1994. The depression scale (Mopsy Test) form was used to assess depression. Depression was assessed as none, moderate (MD), or severe (SD). Results . The prevalence of depression in the 25–64-year-old male population was 29% (MD, 25.9%; SD, 3.1%). There were TNF-α G/G, G/A, and A/A genotypes in 79.1, 19, and 1.9% of cases, respectively. The G allele was present in 88.6% of the men and the A allele was only in 11.4%. Comparative analysis showed that the G/A genotype was more common in men with MD (28.8%) than in those without depression (14.8%): χ2 =6.486; df=1; p=0.011; odds ratio (OR), 2.316; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.202–4.463. The G/A genotype was also more frequently observed in individuals with depression (MD and SD, 26,5%) than in men without depression (14.8%): χ2 =5.256; df=1; p=0.022; OR, 2.072; 95% CI, 1.103–3.892 compared with G/G genotype carriers. Carriage of the A allele was more often noted in individuals with MD (17.4%) than in those without depression (8%) (χ2 =9.67; df=1; p=0.002; OR=2.43; 95% CI, 1.371–4.307; similarly, A allele carriers were more common among the individuals with MD and SD (163.6%) than among the examinees without depression (8%) (χ2 =9.122; df=1; p=0.003; OR=2.296; 95% CI, 1.325–3.98). Discussion . Analysis of the association of G308A TNF-α gene polymorphism with depression showed that although the G/G genotype proved to be most frequently found in the G308A TNF-α gene polymorphism, the heterozygous G/A genotype and the homozygous A/A genotype, the A allele were more often detected in depression. Subsequent comparative analysis confirmed that the OR for the development of MD and depression (MD and SD) in individuals with the G/A genotype was increased by 2.3 and 2 times, respectively. Conclusion . A significant association was found between depression and G308A TNF-α gene polymorphism.