Expressive

rs118114209 (C8orf34): Childhood Trauma and Substance Use

Key takeaways

  • rs118114209 in C8orf34 is a candidate locus from a GWEIS linking genetic variation, childhood trauma, and adult substance use patterns.
  • Childhood trauma showed strong direct links to adult smoking frequency, with coefficients of 0.42-0.46 for adverse exposures.
  • The finding is preliminary, from a single study with no reported independent replication.
  • The UK Biobank analyses included up to 127,766 participants across different trauma exposure variables.
  • Specific statistics for this variant were not fully available in the study excerpt used for this entry.

Key takeaways

  • rs118114209 in C8orf34 (chromosome 8 open reading frame 34) is a candidate locus from a genome-wide by environment interaction study (GWEIS) linking genetic variation, childhood trauma, and adult substance use patterns.
  • Childhood trauma showed strong direct links to adult smoking frequency, with coefficients of 0.42-0.46 for adverse exposures (feeling hated by a family member, sexual molestation).
  • The finding is preliminary, from a single study with no reported independent replication.
  • The UK Biobank analyses included up to 127,766 participants across different trauma exposure variables.
  • Specific statistics for this variant were not fully available in the study excerpt used for this entry.

What the research says A GWEIS in the UK Biobank analyzed genetic variants that interact with three types of childhood traumatic events - feeling hated by a family member (up to 111,465 participants), not feeling loved (up to 124,481 participants), and sexual molestation (up to 127,766 participants) - to shape adult cigarette smoking frequency and alcohol drinking frequency. Childhood trauma exposures were significantly associated with adult smoking frequency (feeling hated: coefficient = 0.42, P < 1.0 × 10^-9; feeling loved: coefficient = −0.31, P < 1.0 × 10^-9; sexual molestation: coefficient = 0.46, P < 1.0 × 10^-9), with weaker associations observed for alcohol drinking (feeling hated: coefficient = 0.08, P = 3.10 × 10^-6; feeling loved: coefficient = −0.06, P = 3.15 × 10^-7). The GWEIS identified this locus (rs118114209) among multiple candidate interaction loci; other reported examples include CTNNA3 (rs189142060, P = 4.23 × 10^-8) for the feeling-hated × smoking interaction and GABRG3 (rs117020886, P = 2.77 × 10^-8) for the feeling-hated × alcohol drinking interaction.

Reported associations

  • Adult cigarette smoking or alcohol drinking frequency × childhood trauma interaction: rs118114209 was identified as a candidate gene-environment interaction locus in a GWEIS of UK Biobank participants (sample sizes up to approximately 127,766 depending on the trauma exposure variable); the specific interaction term (which trauma exposure, which substance), effect direction, and p-value for this variant were not included in the available study excerpt.

Evidence quality The sole source of evidence for rs118114209 is a single GWEIS published in Translational Psychiatry (2021) using UK Biobank data, with sample sizes ranging from approximately 41,648 to 127,766 participants across the three childhood trauma exposure variables analyzed. GWEIS analyses test a large number of interaction terms simultaneously, making findings susceptible to false positives unless independently replicated; no replication cohort results for this specific locus were reported in the study. The analysis was conducted using PLINK 2.0. Because the available study text did not include the specific statistics for rs118114209 - such as p-value, effect size, or which childhood trauma and substance use pairing it tagged - evidence quality for this particular variant must be rated as very preliminary.

Lifestyle considerations No lifestyle considerations on file for this variant.

Frequently asked questions

What does the C8orf34 gene do?

C8orf34 (chromosome 8 open reading frame 34) is not yet well characterized in terms of biological function. It was flagged as a candidate gene through statistical patterns in a large genetic interaction study rather than through a known biological pathway.

Is rs118114209 linked to smoking or alcohol use?

rs118114209 in C8orf34 was identified as a candidate locus in a genome-wide by environment interaction study examining how genetics interacts with childhood traumatic experiences to influence adult smoking and drinking frequency. This is a preliminary finding from one study, without independent replication.

What is a genome-wide by environment interaction study (GWEIS)?

A GWEIS scans the entire genome to find variants whose relationship with a trait, like smoking or drinking, depends on an environmental factor such as experiencing childhood trauma. It tests whether nature and nurture combine in specific, statistically detectable ways.

How strong is the evidence for rs118114209?

The evidence is very preliminary. The variant was flagged in a single UK Biobank study and had not been independently replicated in a separate cohort at the time of publication. GWEIS findings require replication to be considered robust.

What childhood traumas were studied in connection with this variant?

The study examined three childhood experiences: feeling hated by a family member, not feeling loved as a child, and being sexually molested. Each was tested for gene-environment interactions with adult smoking and alcohol drinking frequency in adulthood.