Melatonin receptor 1B gene rs10830963 polymorphism, depressive symptoms and glycaemic traits

Abstract

Background: The association between depression and type 2 diabetes is bidirectional. Underlying biological determinants remain elusive. We examined whether a common melatonin receptor 1B gene diabetes risk variant rs10830963 influenced the associations between depressive symptoms and glycaemic traits.

Materials: The Prevalence, Prediction and Prevention of Diabetes-Botnia Study participants (n = 4,455) with no diabetes who underwent an oral glucose tolerance test were genotyped for rs10830963 and completed the Mental Health Inventory on depressive symptoms.

Results: The rs10830963 did not influence significantly the associations between depressive symptoms and glycaemic traits. Yet, the addition of each copy of the minor G allele of the rs1080963 and higher depressive symptoms were both, independent of each other, associated significantly with higher glucose response (glucose area under the curve), higher insulin resistance (Insulin Sensitivity Index) and lower insulin secretion (Disposition Index). Depressive symptoms, but not rs1080963, were also significantly associated with higher fasting insulin, insulin area under the curve and insulin resistance (Homeostasis Model Assessment, Homeostasis Model Assessment-2); rs1080963, but not depressive symptoms, was significantly associated with higher fasting glucose and lower Corrected Insulin Response.

Conclusions: Our study shows that the diabetes risk variant rs10830963 does not contribute to the known comorbidity between depression and type 2 diabetes.

Key messages

• The association between depression and type 2 diabetes is bidirectional.

• We tested whether a common variant rs10830963 in the gene encoding Melatonin Receptor 1B influences the known association between depressive symptoms and glycaemic traits in a population-based sample from Western Finland.

• The MTNR1B genetic diabetes risk variant rs10830963 does not contribute to the known comorbidity between depression and type 2 diabetes.

• Depressive symptoms and rs10830963 are associated with a worse glycaemic profile independently of each other.

Keywords:

• Depression
• diabetes
• glycaemic traits
• insulin sensitivity and resistance
• melatonin
• MTNR1B
• psychological aspects

Acknowledgements

The skilful assistance of the Botnia Study Group is gratefully acknowledged.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Academy of Finland, the ERC Advanced Scientist Grant, the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation and the Doctoral Programme of Psychology, Learning and Communication (University of Helsinki). The PPP-Botnia study has been financially supported by grants from the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, the Folkhälsan Research Foundation, the Nordic Center of Excellence in Disease Genetics, EU (EXGENESIS, EUFP7-MOSAIC), the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation, the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, the Finnish Diabetes Research Foundation, the Foundation for Life and Health in Finland, the Finnish Medical Society, the Paavo Nurmi Foundation, the Helsinki University Central Hospital Research Foundation, the Perklén Foundation, the Ollqvist Foundation, the Närpes Health Care Foundation and the Ahokas Foundation. The study has also been supported by the Ministry of Education in Finland, Municipal Heath Care Center and Hospital in Jakobstad and Health Care Centers in Vaasa, Närpes and Korsholm.