A continuum of genetic liability for minor and major depression

Translational Psychiatry
E C CorfieldD R Nyholt

Abstract

The recent success of a large genome-wide association (GWA) study-analysing 130 620 major depression cases and 347 620 controls-in identifying the first single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci robustly associated with major depression in Europeans confirms that immense sample sizes are required to identify risk loci for depression. Given the phenotypic similarity between major depressive disorder (MDD) and the less severe minor depressive disorder (MiDD), we hypothesised that broadening the case definition to include MiDD may be an efficient approach to increase sample sizes in GWA studies of depression. By analysing two large twin pair cohorts, we show that minor depression and major depression lie on a single genetic continuum, with major depression being more severe but not aetiologically distinct from minor depression. Furthermore, we estimate heritabilities of 37% for minor depression, 46% for major depression and 48% for minor or major depression in a cohort of older adults (aged 50-92). However, the heritability of minor or major depression was estimated at 40% in a cohort of younger adults (aged 23-38). Moreover, two robust major depression-risk SNPs nominally associated with major depression in our Australian GWA dat...Continue Reading

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Citations

Feb 14, 2019·Development and Psychopathology·Katharina PittnerMarian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
Oct 7, 2019·Psychiatry Investigation·Alper EvrenselMehmet Emin Ceylan
Oct 4, 2019·Nature Reviews. Neuroscience·Anand GururajanDavid A Slattery
Dec 10, 2019·Human Genetics·Sha LiuFuquan Zhang
Jan 1, 2020·Asia-Pacific Psychiatry : Official Journal of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists·Jianfei FengRuibin Mu
May 31, 2018·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Shan LiangFeng Jin
May 8, 2018·Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology·Xiaoyan LiUNKNOWN 23andMe Research Team7
Sep 4, 2020·Human Molecular Genetics·Hillary R DueñasLaura M Huckins
Nov 24, 2020·Indian Journal of Psychiatry·Shokhrukh SultanovLola Shadmanova
Apr 13, 2020·The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry : Official Journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry·Najada StringaMartijn Huisman
Mar 21, 2021·Asia-Pacific Psychiatry : Official Journal of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists·Beifang FanLan Guo
Jul 23, 2021·Molecular Psychiatry·Bradley S JermyEvangelos Vassos

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
genotyping

Software Mentioned

OpenMx
POLYCORR
R
PLINK
CONVERGE
BeadStudio GenCall

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