Abstract
Gene-environment interactions that moderate aggressive behavior have been identified independently in the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene and monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA). The aim of the present study was to investigate epistasis interactions between MAOA-variable number tandem repeat (VNTR), 5-HTTlinked polymorphism (LPR) and child abuse and the effects of these on aggressive tendencies in a group of otherwise healthy adolescents. A group of 546 Chinese male adolescents completed the Child Trauma Questionnaire and Youth self-report of the Child Behavior Checklist. Buccal cells were collected for DNA analysis. The effects of childhood abuse, MAOA-VNTR, 5-HTTLPR genotypes and their interactive gene-gene-environmental effects on aggressive behavior were analyzed using a linear regression model. The effect of child maltreatment was significant, and a three-way interaction among MAOA-VNTR, 5-HTTLPR and sexual abuse (SA) relating to aggressive behaviors was identified. Chinese male adolescents with high expression of the MAOA-VNTR allele and 5-HTTLPR “SS” genotype exhibited the highest aggression tendencies with an increase in SA during childhood. The findings reported support aggression being a complex behavior involving the synergistic effects of gene-gene-environment interactions.
Highlights
Teenage aggressive behavior is a major global public health problem
The t-tests demonstrated no differences in the total maltreatment and subscale scores of the CTQ questionnaire, or in aggression scores between participants with low and high activity monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA)-variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) genotypes
As the principal enzymes involved in serotonin metabolism, both the MAOA and 5-HTT genes are potentially of importance to understanding the occurrence of human aggressive behavior
Summary
Teenage aggressive behavior is a major global public health problem. Longitudinal studies have indicated that aggressive behavior during youth is highly predictive of violence in adulthood and is strongly associated with a greater risk of alcohol and drug abuse, violent crimes, suicide attempts and depression (Fergusson and Horwood, 1998; Bradshaw et al, 2010). The determinants of adolescent aggression are diverse and are known to include genetic as well as environmental factors. Numerous studies have shown that the interaction of certain genotypes and childhood maltreatment are linked to vulnerability towards aggressive or antisocial behavior (Caspi et al, 2002; Kim-Cohen et al, 2006; Byrd and Manuck, 2014; Haberstick et al, 2014). Maltreatment of a child includes sexual abuse (SA), physical abuse (PA), emotional abuse (EA) and neglect (Miller et al, 2013). Such maltreatment is known to be a risk factor for adolescent
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