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Oxytocin receptor (OXTR) is not associated with optimism in the Nurses’ Health Study

Molecular Psychiatry volume 17, pages 1157–1159 (2012)Cite this article

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The oxytocin system is implicated in complex social behavior such as socioemotional functioning, social recognition and bonding, and in modulating biological responses to stress.1, 2 The oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene encodes the OXTR; a G-protein-coupled receptor that mediates the effects of the neurohormone oxytocin.3, 4 Prior studies have reported associations between an intronic single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs53576) of OXTR and various stress-related and psychological traits.4, 5 Most recently, Saphire-Bernstein et al6 reported that rs53576 A allele carriage conferred lower optimism relative to G homozygotes, among 344 men and women aged 18–36 years of various ethnicities. We sought to replicate the association between OXTR rs53576 and optimism in 1229 women from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS).

The NHS was established in 1976 when 121 700 women registered as nurses aged 30–55 years from 11 US states completed a mailed questionnaire on medical history and lifestyle characteristics.7 Every 2 years, follow-up questionnaires are sent. The 2004 and 2008 questionnaires included information on antidepressant use and the revised life orientation test,8 the same dispositional optimism measure used in the Saphire-Bernstein et al.6 study. We generated five different optimism scores to provide a thorough investigation of the previously reported association. Year-specific optimism scores were derived by taking the mean of all non-missing items in 2004 (α=0.77) and also in 2008 (α=0.75). Individuals with >2 items missing were excluded (up to 8% of analytic sample). Using both assessments, an overall mean optimism score was also derived, as were two subscale scores reflecting an ‘optimistic’ or ‘pessimistic’ outlook.8 Genotypes for the current analysis were available from two case-control nested genome-wide association studies, initially designed to assess kidney stone disease and glaucoma (total n=1294).9, 10 Samples were genotyped for OXTR rs53576 at the Broad Center for Genotyping and Analysis using the Illumina 610Q or 660Q array (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA). Genotyping success rate for rs53576 was >98%.9, 10 Principal components analyses using genome-wide data were conducted to assess self-reported race. Genetically inferred non-Caucasian samples were too few (<3% of analytic sample) for meaningful analysis and therefore excluded.

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Acknowledgements

The NHS Kidney Stone genome-wide association study (GWAS) was supported by NIDDK: 5P01DK070756; the NHS Glaucoma GWAS by NHGRI: UOHG004728. This work was also supported by NIMH: 1RC4 MH092707 and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Pioneer Portfolio, through a grant, ‘Exploring Concepts of Positive Health’. MCC is a recipient of a NARSAD Young Investigator Award. We acknowledge the NHS study participants for their contribution in making this study possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Boston, MA, USA

    M C Cornelis & E B Rimm

  2. Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Boston, MA, USA

    M M Glymour, S-C Chang, K C Koenen, E B Rimm, I Kawachi & L D Kubzansky

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    E J T Tchetgen, L Liang & J H Kang

  4. Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    K C Koenen

  5. Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    J H Kang & L R Pasquale

  6. Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA

    L R Pasquale

  7. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    L R Pasquale & E B Rimm

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  1. M C Cornelis
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  2. M M Glymour
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  10. I Kawachi
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Correspondence to M C Cornelis.

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Cornelis, M., Glymour, M., Chang, SC. et al. Oxytocin receptor (OXTR) is not associated with optimism in the Nurses’ Health Study. Mol Psychiatry 17, 1157–1159 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2011.178

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