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© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background: Alexithymia is a trait involving difficulties in processing emotions. Genetic association studies have investigated candidate genes involved in alexithymia’s pathogenesis. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to perform a systematic review of the genetic background associated with alexithymia. Methods: A systematic review of genetic studies of people with alexithymia was conducted. Electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for the study purpose. We used the words “Alexithymia”, “gene”, “genetics”, “variants”, and “biomarkers”. The present systematic review was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. We found only candidate gene studies. A total of seventeen studies met the eligibility criteria, which comprised 22,361 individuals. The candidate genes associated with alexithymia were the serotoninergic pathway genes solute carrier family 6 member 4 (SLC6A4), serotonin 1A receptor (HTR1A), and serotonin 1A receptor (HTR2A); the neurotransmitter metabolism genes dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2), ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1 (ANKK1), catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and oxytocin receptor (OXTR); and other pathway genes, vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP), tumor protein P53 regulated apoptosis inducing protein 1 (TP53AIP1), Rho GTPase Activating Protein 32 (ARHGAP32), and transmembrane protein 88B (TMEM88B). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that only case–control gene studies have been performed in alexithymia. On the basis of our findings, the majority of alexithymia genes and polymorphisms in this study belong to the serotoninergic pathway and neurotransmitter metabolism genes. These data suggest a role of serotoninergic neurotransmission in alexithymia. Nevertheless, more and future research is required to learn about the role of these genes in alexithymia.

Details

Title
Exploring Candidate Gene Studies and Alexithymia: A Systematic Review
Author
Hernández-Díaz, Yazmín 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Genis-Mendoza, Alma Delia 2 ; González-Castro, Thelma Beatriz 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Fresán, Ana 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Carlos Alfonso Tovilla-Zárate 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; López-Narváez, María Lilia 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Juárez-Rojop, Isela Esther 5 ; Nicolini, Humberto 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Jalpa de Méndez, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Jalpa de Méndez 86205, Mexico; [email protected] 
 Hospital Psiquiátrico Infantil “Juan N. Navarro”, Tlalpan 14080, Mexico; [email protected] 
 Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico; [email protected] 
 División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Comalcalco, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Comalcalco 86650, Mexico; [email protected] (C.A.T.-Z.); [email protected] (M.L.L.-N.) 
 División Académica de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Jalpa de Méndez 86205, Mexico; [email protected] 
 Laboratorio de Genómica de Enfermedades Psiquiátricas y Neurodegenerativas, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Ciudad de México 14610, Mexico 
First page
1025
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20734425
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3097910648
Copyright
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.