Nature Genetics
Published online: 17 January 2010 | doi:10.1038/ng.523
Francis J McMahon1, Nirmala Akula1, Thomas G Schulze1,2, Pierandrea Muglia3,4, Federica Tozzi3, Sevilla D Detera-Wadleigh1, C J M Steele1, René Breuer2, Jana Strohmaier2, Jens R Wendland1, Manuel Mattheisen5,6,7, Thomas W Mühleisen5,6, Wolfgang Maier8, Markus M Nöthen5,6, Sven Cichon5,6, Anne Farmer9, John B Vincent4, Florian Holsboer10, Martin Preisig11 & Marcella Rietschel2,6 for the Bipolar Disorder Genome Study (BiGS) Consortium12
The major mood disorders, which include bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder (MDD), are considered heritable traits, although previous genetic association studies have had limited success in robustly identifying risk loci. We performed a meta-analysis of five case-control cohorts for major mood disorder, including over 13,600 individuals genotyped on high-density SNP arrays. We identified SNPs at 3p21.1 associated with major mood disorders (rs2251219, P = 3.63 × 10−8; odds ratio = 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.83–0.92), with supportive evidence for association observed in two out of three independent replication cohorts. These results provide an example of a shared genetic susceptibility locus for bipolar disorder and MDD.
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From my current point of view, the mood disorders are physiologically nearly identical illnesses though have different phenotypes – in part determined by psychological factors (e.g. environment, stored belief system, learned adaptive skills) and genetic temperment. This is why practically the same medications are used in each – be it antidepressant, mood stabilizer, antipsychotic, anxiolytic, etc.