PRKCA and TCF4 Genetic Variants in Anxiety Symptoms and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in a Sample of Colombian Subjects Selected on the Basis of High Anxiety Scores

Abstract

Objective: There are several anxiety disorders leading to a high burden of disease around the world, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The heritability of GAD suggests that genetic factors play an important role in its development; however, further research in this area is needed in Latin America. This study aimed to analyze the possible association between two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs2244497 and rs1452789, located in the PRKCA and TCF4 genes with anxiety symptoms and GAD based on high anxiety scores in a sample of selected Colombian subjects. Methods: We evaluated 303 participants using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Zung’s Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (ZSAS). Subjects with high scores in both scales (according to established cut-off points) participated in a psychiatric evaluation for the diagnosis of GAD. TaqMan assays were employed to genotype the SNPs, and statistical analyses were performed using logistic and linear regression. Results: In a sample of Colombian subjects selected on the basis of high anxiety scores, we found a significant association between the rs2244497 SNP in the PRKCA gene and higher scores in anxiety symptoms, where people carrying the T/T genotype had the highest scores for HADS scale. However, we did not observe this association in people diagnosed with GAD. In addition, the SNP in TCF4 (rs1452789) did not have an association with anxiety symptoms or GAD diagnosis. Conclusion: This study contributes to the analysis of the molecular basis of anxiety disorders in selected Latin American samples. However, further studies are necessary to understand the role of rs2244497 SNP in the PRKCA gene and the risk for higher scores in anxiety symptoms.