Association between a dinucleotide repeat polymorphism of the estrogen receptor alpha gene and personality traits in women

• Published in: Molecular psychiatry Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 118 - 122
• Main Authors: WESTBERG, L, MELKE, J, LANDEN, M, NILSSON, S, BAGHAEI, F, ROSMOND, R, JANSSON, M, HOLM, G, BJÖRNTORP, P, ERIKSSON, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 2003
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aggression; Aggression - physiology; Anxiety; Anxiety - genetics; Biological and medical sciences; Conformity; Dinucleotide Repeats; Estrogen; Estrogen Receptor alpha; Estrogens; Female; Genes; Genetic; genetics; Genotype & phenotype; Humans; Irritable Mood; Irritable Mood - physiology; MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES; Medical genetics; Medical sciences; MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP; Mental and behavioral disorders; Neurotic Disorders; Neurotic Disorders - genetics; Personality; Personality - genetics; Personality disorders; Personality traits; physiology; Polymorphism; Polymorphism, Genetic; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Receptors; Receptors, Estrogen - genetics; Sweden; Human; Neuroticism; Pathogenesis; Dinucleotide; Anxiety disorder; Steroid hormone receptor; Personality; Personality disorder; Behavioral disorder; Case study; Estrogen receptor α; Generalized anxiety disorder; Adult; Female; Genetics; Hormonal investigation; Karolinska Hospital Personality Inventory; Aggressiveness; Polymorphism
• ISSN: 1359-4184; 1476-5578; 1476-5578
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.mp.4001192

Estrogens are known to play a key role in the regulation of various aspects of behavior. In order to study the potential contribution of genetic variation in the estrogen receptor (ER) alpha to specific personality traits, we investigated a repeat polymorphism in the ER alpha gene in 172 42-year-old women who had been assessed using the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP). Based on the hypothesis that there is a relationship between the length of a repeat polymorphism and gene function,(1) the alleles were divided into two groups: short and long. In order to elucidate the possible influence of the ER alpha gene on the different aspects of personality measured by means of the KSP, the possible association between this gene and four different factors ('neuroticism', 'psychoticism', 'non-conformity', and 'extraversion') was analysed. 'Neuroticism', 'psychoticism', and 'non-conformity' all appeared to be associated with the ER alpha gene. After correction for multiple comparisons by means of permutation analysis, the associations with the factor 'non-conformity'--including the subscales 'indirect aggression' and 'irritability'--and the factor 'psychoticism'--including the subscale 'suspicion'--remained significant. The results suggest that the studied dinucleotide repeat polymorphism of the ER alpha gene may contribute to specific components of personality.