Increased mood symptoms in postmenopausal women related to the polymorphism rs743572 of the CYP17 A1 gene

Abstract

Background: Menopausal and depressive symptoms are highly prevalent after the menopause; but may vary from one population to another and genetics play a key role.

Objective: To analyze the intensity of these symptoms in relation to the genetic variants of the rs743572 polymorphism of the CYP17 A1 gene in postmenopausal women.

Methods: DNA was extracted from the whole blood of 168 natural postmenopausal women (40–65 years) and tested for the rs743572 polymorphism of the CYP17 A1 gene. Intensity of menopausal (Menopause Rating Scale, MRS) and depressive symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depressive Scale, HADS) were correlated to polymorphism genotypes.

Results: Women with the GG genotype of the rs743572 polymorphism displayed significantly higher scores for the MRS (items 5 and 6 [irritability and anxiety] and the psychological subscale) and the HADS (total and subscales).

Conclusion: The intensity of menopausal symptoms related to mood was found higher among postmenopausal women presenting the GG genotype of the rs743572 polymorphism of the CYP17 A1 gene. There is a need for more research in this regard.

Chinese abstract

背景: 更年期和抑郁症状在绝经后非常普遍, 但可能会因人而异, 而且遗传学起着关键作用。目的: 探讨绝经后妇女更年期和抑郁症状与CYP17 A1 基因rs743572多态性遗传变异的相关强度。

方法: 从168位自然绝经后妇女的全血中提取DNA (40–65岁) 并测试CYP17 A1基因的rs743572多态性。更年期 (更年期强度评定量表, MRS) 和抑郁症状 (医院焦虑和抑郁量表, HADS) 的强度与多态性基因型相关。

结果: rs743572多态性的GG基因型妇女, 其MRS (第5和6条 [易怒和焦虑]和心理量表) 和HADS (总量和分量表) 评分显著增高。

结论: 有关情绪的更年期症状强度在CYP17 A1 基因rs743572多态性的GG基因型绝经后女性中较高。有必要在这方面进行更多的研究。

Keywords:

• CYP17 A1
• depression
• menopausal symptoms
• polymorphism
• postmenopause

Acknowledgements

Authors thank the women who participated in this study and also Isabel Vintimilla-Sigüenza, Lucía Romero-Huete, Winston Jaramillo, Flor López, Rita Loja, Cecibel Ramírez, Isabel Naranjo, María F. Carpio and Christian Cando-Dumancela for their support.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare having no conflicts of interest.

The present study was supported by the Sistema de Investigación y Desarrollo, Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Ecuador, through grants SIU-3373–2011 (The Omega I Women’s Health Project 2011), and SIU-318–853-2014 (The Omega II, Women’s Health Project 2014) provided to Peter Chedraui; and partly supported by grant B/024535/09 of AECID (Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo) from the Spanish Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Cooperación provided to Faustino R. Pérez-López.