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Associations between APOE-, COMT Val108/158Met- and BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms and variations in depressive and anxiety symptoms, sense of coherence and vital exhaustion in the real-life setting of mandatory basic military training

  • Psychiatry and Preclinical Psychiatric Studies - Original Article
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Abstract

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε, catechol-O-methytranferase (COMT) Val108/158Met and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were shown to affect stress perception and response. The present study explored possible associations between these SNPs and changes in subclinical anxiety- and depressive symptoms, sense of coherence (SOC) and vital exhaustion (VE) during compulsory basic military training. The study encompassed 179 conscripts of a training base in Greece. The neuropsychiatric assessment was based on the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Antonovsky SOC scale and the Maastricht Questionnaire. It was conducted at three time points of the 19-day basic military training: on day one (baseline), day six (follow-up I) and day 13 (follow-up II). Statistical analyses included Mann–Whitney test, Chi-square test and cross-sectional time series regression models based on the Skillings–Mack statistic. APOE ε4 non-carriers encountered significant changes in anxiety- and depressive symptoms and SOC (in all cases P < 0.001) over the observation period, whilst ε4 carriers did not. The changes in anxiety, depressive symptoms and SOC attained statistical significance in both BDNF Met66 carriers (in all cases P < 0.001) and non-carriers (P = 0.036; < 0.001; < 0.001, respectively) as well as in COMT Met108/158 carriers (P = 0.004; < 0.001; < 0.001, respectively) and non-carriers (P = 0.02; 0.01; 0.021, respectively. Changes over time in VE were not significant (P > 0.05). The observed resistance of APOE ε4 carriers vs non-carriers to changes in anxiety- and depressive symptoms and SOC when exposed to a stressful environment may point to superior coping capacities of healthy young men carrying the ε4 allele.

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Data availability

The datasets used and analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgment

The authors express their deep gratitude to Brigadier general Mr. Theodoros Mperetis, Training Centre of Technical Corps of the Hellenic Army, Patras, Greece for his invaluable assistance in all phases of study.

Funding

The study was supported by intramural funding sources.

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Author notes

  1. Panagiotis Alexopoulos and Anastasios D. Papanastasiou contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, University Hospital of Patras, 26504, Rion Patras, Greece

    Panagiotis Alexopoulos, Pavlos Beis & Philippos Gourzis

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany

    Panagiotis Alexopoulos

  3. Deparment of Biomedical Sciences, University of West Attica, Ag. Spyridonos Street, 12243, Egaleo, Greece

    Anastasios D. Papanastasiou

  4. Department of Civil Engineering (Statistics), School of Engineering, University of Patras, 26504, Rion Patras, Greece

    Polychronis Εconomou

  5. Health Unit, Training Center of Technical Corps of the Hellenic Army, Maragkopoulou Str. 2, 26331, Patras, Greece

    Michail Niforas, Theodore G. Dassios & Aggeliki Kormpaki

  6. Department of Orthopaedic and Accident Surgery, Center for Foot and Endoprothetic Joint Surgery, Malteser Clinics Rhein-Ruhr Duisburg, St. Johannesstift, Johannisstr. 21, 47198, Duisburg-Homberg, Germany

    Michail Niforas

  7. Department of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK

    Theodore G. Dassios

  8. Laboratory of General Biology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, 26504, Rion Patras, Greece

    Ioannis K. Zarkadis

  9. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany

    Martin Reichel & Johannes Kornhuber

  10. Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany

    Martin Reichel

  11. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich Nussbaumstraße 7, 80336, Munich, Germany

    Robert Perneczky

  12. Ageing Epidemiology (AGE) Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, The Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, SW7 2AZ, UK

    Robert Perneczky

  13. Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany

    Robert Perneczky

  14. German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 17, 81377, Munich, Germany

    Robert Perneczky

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  1. Panagiotis Alexopoulos
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Contributions

PA, ADP, PG designed this study; PA, ADP, MN, TGD, AK collected this data; ADP, MR, JK, RP, IKZ performed the genotyping of the studied polymorphisms; PA, PE, PB analysed data; PA, ADP, PE and RP mainly wrote this manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Panagiotis Alexopoulos.

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The study was approved by the Bioethics and Research Ethics Committee of the University of Patras. All participants gave their written informed consent prior to enrolment in the study.

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Alexopoulos, P., Papanastasiou, A.D., Εconomou, P. et al. Associations between APOE-, COMT Val108/158Met- and BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms and variations in depressive and anxiety symptoms, sense of coherence and vital exhaustion in the real-life setting of mandatory basic military training. J Neural Transm 128, 105–114 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-020-02280-1

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