Interaction between maternal 5-HTT genotype and prenatal stress exposure, confirmation in two independent samples (P2.229)

TL;DRAbstract

OBJECTIVE: Examine the interaction between maternal 5-HTT genotype and prenatal stress exposure in autism. BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest prenatal psychosocial stressors during specific prenatal epochs increase the risk of autism. Absence of a 44bp segment of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) promoter region is related to stress responsivity, and has inconsistently been associated with autism. If maternal presence of at least one copy this stress-associated short allele (S-allele) of 5-HTT increases risk of autism with prenatal stress exposure, one would expect the prenatal stress exposure in autism to be more frequently observed in mothers with the S-allele. DESIGN/METHODS: Sixty mothers of children with autism at University of Missouri, and 99 at Queen's University were genotyped, accompanied by surveys regarding prenatal psychosocial stress exposure, and timing of these stressors, as with our previous work. Stress exposure incidence was compared between mothers carrying the

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