Predicting hair cortisol levels with hair pigmentation genes: a possible hair pigmentation bias
Abstract Cortisol concentrations in hair are used to create hormone profiles spanning months. This method allows assessment of chronic cortisol exposure, but might be biased by hair pigmentation: dark hair was previously related to higher concentrations. It is unclear whether this association arises...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2017-08-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-07034-w |
| _version_ | 1818429673297674240 |
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| author | Alexander Neumann Gerard Noppe Fan Liu Manfred Kayser Frank C. Verhulst Vincent W. V. Jaddoe Elisabeth F. C. van Rossum Henning Tiemeier |
| author_facet | Alexander Neumann Gerard Noppe Fan Liu Manfred Kayser Frank C. Verhulst Vincent W. V. Jaddoe Elisabeth F. C. van Rossum Henning Tiemeier |
| author_sort | Alexander Neumann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Cortisol concentrations in hair are used to create hormone profiles spanning months. This method allows assessment of chronic cortisol exposure, but might be biased by hair pigmentation: dark hair was previously related to higher concentrations. It is unclear whether this association arises from local effects, such as increased hormone extractability, or whether the association represents systemic differences arising from population stratification. We tested the hypothesis that hair pigmentation gene variants are associated with varying cortisol levels independent of genetic ancestry. Hormone concentrations and genotype were measured in 1674 children from the Generation R cohort at age 6. We computed a polygenic score of hair color based on 9 single nucleotide polymorphisms. This score was used to predict hair cortisol concentrations, adjusted for genetic ancestry, sex, age and corticosteroid use. A 1-standard deviation (SD) higher polygenic score (darker hair) was associated with 0.08 SD higher cortisol levels (SE = 0.03, p = 0.002). This suggests that variation in hair cortisol concentrations is partly explained by local hair effects. In multi-ancestry studies this hair pigmentation bias can reduce power and confound results. Researchers should therefore consider adjusting analyses by reported hair color, by polygenic scores, or by both. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:21:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ec8037b18b92474cb34047d0e27d0ea2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:21:15Z |
| publishDate | 2017-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-ec8037b18b92474cb34047d0e27d0ea22022-12-21T22:56:09ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222017-08-01711810.1038/s41598-017-07034-wPredicting hair cortisol levels with hair pigmentation genes: a possible hair pigmentation biasAlexander Neumann0Gerard Noppe1Fan Liu2Manfred Kayser3Frank C. Verhulst4Vincent W. V. Jaddoe5Elisabeth F. C. van Rossum6Henning Tiemeier7Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center RotterdamDepartment of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center RotterdamKey Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Genetic Identification, Erasmus MC University Medical Center RotterdamDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center RotterdamThe Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC University Medical Center RotterdamDepartment of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center RotterdamDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center RotterdamAbstract Cortisol concentrations in hair are used to create hormone profiles spanning months. This method allows assessment of chronic cortisol exposure, but might be biased by hair pigmentation: dark hair was previously related to higher concentrations. It is unclear whether this association arises from local effects, such as increased hormone extractability, or whether the association represents systemic differences arising from population stratification. We tested the hypothesis that hair pigmentation gene variants are associated with varying cortisol levels independent of genetic ancestry. Hormone concentrations and genotype were measured in 1674 children from the Generation R cohort at age 6. We computed a polygenic score of hair color based on 9 single nucleotide polymorphisms. This score was used to predict hair cortisol concentrations, adjusted for genetic ancestry, sex, age and corticosteroid use. A 1-standard deviation (SD) higher polygenic score (darker hair) was associated with 0.08 SD higher cortisol levels (SE = 0.03, p = 0.002). This suggests that variation in hair cortisol concentrations is partly explained by local hair effects. In multi-ancestry studies this hair pigmentation bias can reduce power and confound results. Researchers should therefore consider adjusting analyses by reported hair color, by polygenic scores, or by both.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-07034-w |
| spellingShingle | Alexander Neumann Gerard Noppe Fan Liu Manfred Kayser Frank C. Verhulst Vincent W. V. Jaddoe Elisabeth F. C. van Rossum Henning Tiemeier Predicting hair cortisol levels with hair pigmentation genes: a possible hair pigmentation bias Scientific Reports |
| title | Predicting hair cortisol levels with hair pigmentation genes: a possible hair pigmentation bias |
| title_full | Predicting hair cortisol levels with hair pigmentation genes: a possible hair pigmentation bias |
| title_fullStr | Predicting hair cortisol levels with hair pigmentation genes: a possible hair pigmentation bias |
| title_full_unstemmed | Predicting hair cortisol levels with hair pigmentation genes: a possible hair pigmentation bias |
| title_short | Predicting hair cortisol levels with hair pigmentation genes: a possible hair pigmentation bias |
| title_sort | predicting hair cortisol levels with hair pigmentation genes a possible hair pigmentation bias |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-07034-w |
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