FKBP5 genotype-dependent DNA methylation and mRNA regulation after psychosocial stress in remitted depression and healthy controls.

Background: Polymorphisms in the FK506 binding protein 5 (FKBP5) gene have been shown to influence glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity, stress response regulation, and depression risk in traumatized subjects, with most consistent findings reported for the functional variant rs1360780. In the present study, we investigated whether the FKBP5 polymorphism rs1360780 and lifetime history of major depression are associated with DNA methylation and FKBP5 gene expression after psychosocial stress.

Methods: A total of 116 individuals with a positive (n = 61) and negative (n = 55) lifetime history of major depression participated in the Trier Social Stress Test.

Increased HPA axis response to psychosocial stress in remitted depression: the influence of coping style.

The aim of the study was to examine the modulating effects of coping style on the response to psychosocial stress in remitted major depression (MD) and healthy controls. Thirty-three participants with a lifetime history of MD, who were in remission, and 32 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were recruited from a longitudinal-epidemiological study, in which the presence or absence of mental disorders was prospectively ascertained. Participants (aged 30-41 years) underwent two consecutive Trier Social Stress Tests (TSSTs).