TY - JOUR

T1 - Salivary cortisol in unaffected twins discordant for affective disorder

AU - Vinberg, Maj

AU - Bennike, Bente

AU - Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm

AU - Andersen, Per Kragh

AU - Kessing, Lars Vedel

N1 - Keywords: Adult; Bipolar Disorder; Circadian Rhythm; Depressive Disorder; Diseases in Twins; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Life Change Events; Male; Middle Aged; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Risk Factors; Saliva

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - Dysfunction in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been proposed as a biological endophenotype for affective disorders. In the present study the hypothesis that a high genetic liability to affective disorder is associated with higher cortisol levels was tested in a cross-sectional high-risk study. Healthy monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins with (High-Risk twins) and without (Low-Risk twins) a co-twin history of affective disorder were identified through nationwide registers. Awakening and evening salivary cortisol levels were compared between the 190 High- and Low-Risk twins. The 109 High-Risk twins had significantly higher evening cortisol levels than the 81 Low-Risk MZ twins, also after adjustment for age, sex, and the level of subclinical depressive symptoms. No significant difference was found in awakening cortisol levels between High-Risk and Low-Risk twins. In conclusion, a high genetic liability to affective disorder was associated with a higher evening cortisol level, but not with awakening cortisol level. Future prospective family, high-risk and twin studies are needed to decide whether abnormalities in the HPA axis can be identified as an endophenotype of affective disorder.

AB - Dysfunction in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been proposed as a biological endophenotype for affective disorders. In the present study the hypothesis that a high genetic liability to affective disorder is associated with higher cortisol levels was tested in a cross-sectional high-risk study. Healthy monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins with (High-Risk twins) and without (Low-Risk twins) a co-twin history of affective disorder were identified through nationwide registers. Awakening and evening salivary cortisol levels were compared between the 190 High- and Low-Risk twins. The 109 High-Risk twins had significantly higher evening cortisol levels than the 81 Low-Risk MZ twins, also after adjustment for age, sex, and the level of subclinical depressive symptoms. No significant difference was found in awakening cortisol levels between High-Risk and Low-Risk twins. In conclusion, a high genetic liability to affective disorder was associated with a higher evening cortisol level, but not with awakening cortisol level. Future prospective family, high-risk and twin studies are needed to decide whether abnormalities in the HPA axis can be identified as an endophenotype of affective disorder.

U2 - 10.1016/j.psychres.2007.08.001

DO - 10.1016/j.psychres.2007.08.001

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 18977033

VL - 161

SP - 292

EP - 301

JO - Psychiatry Research

JF - Psychiatry Research

SN - 0165-1781

IS - 3

ER -