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Porto, Portugal | September 20-22, 2012
29
T13
DNA-METHYLATION OF THE GHRELIN-RECEPTOR
(GHSR) GENE PROMOTER IN PATIENTS WITH
ANOREXIA
NERVOSA
(AN)
Vanessa Buchholz
1
, Stefan Bleich
1
, Martina deZwaan
1
,
Stephan Zipfel
2
, Wolfgang Herzog
3
, Helge Frieling
1
1
1, Hannover, Germany,
2
2, Tübingen, Germany,
3
3, Heidel-
berg, Germany
Introduction:
The pathogenesis of
AN
seems to depend
on genetic and environmental factors. Environmental condi-
tions may influence epigenetic regulative mechanisms like
e.g. DNA-Methylation. Recent research shows that epigen-
etic factors are involved in the pathogenesis of
AN
. To date
there are only cross-sectional studies regarding changes of
DNA-Methylation of pathological relevant genes. To be able
to show effects of therapeutic intervention longitudinal studies
are required. A gene relevant in
AN
codes for the orexigenic
hormone ghrelin, whose plasma levels are elevated in pa-
tients with
AN
and whose receptor (GHSR) is highly epige-
netically regulated.
Methods:
Differences in DNA-Methylation
of the GHSR-gene were investigated via Bisulfite-Sequencing
in blood samples of 109 patients with
AN
included in the
German Eating Disorder Research Network trial ANTOP.
Results:
We found a significant increase of mean DNA-meth-
ylation of a CpG-island in the GSHR promoter region from T0
(start of therapy) to T2 (end of therapy). This finding stayed
stable during katamnesis (T3-T4).
Conclusions:
Alterations
of GSHR promoter methylation were present in anorectic
patients and changed during therapy. To our knowledge this
is the first study to describe specific epigenetic effects of psy-
chiatric therapy in patients with psychiatric disorders. Further
detailed analysis of these effects are warranted.
T14
THE PREVALENCE OF PICKY EATING IN A PROSPEC-
TIVE POPULATION-BASED COHORT OF YOUNG CHIL-
DREN
Sebastian Cardona Cano
1,2
, Daphne van Hoeken
1
, Wietske
A Ester
1
, Ilse MT Nijs
2
, Frank C Verhulst
2
, Henning Tiemeier
2
,
Hans W Hoek
1,3,4
1
Parnassia Bavo Psychiatric Institute, The Hague, Nether-
lands,
2
Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus
Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands,
3
Dept. of Epidemi-
ology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health,
New York, NY, USA,
4
Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Gron-
ingen, Groningen, Netherlands
Introduction:
Feeding problems are common in early child-
hood and are a major concern for caregivers. It is unclear
to what extent they lead to feeding disorders. Our aim is to
establish the incidence, point prevalence and evolvement
over time of picky eating in a community cohort of children.
Methods
: This study is part of the Generation R study, a
prospective population-based cohort study of children fo-
cusing on developmental disorders from pregnancy to early
adulthood. Singular strengths of the study are the size of the
population cohort, the long-term, prospective nature, starting
with prenatal assessments and including regular follow-ups,
and the extensive psychosocial and neuro-imaging data
collection. The participating mothers (N=8880) enrolled in the
study at pregnancy. During the assessment waves at age 1.5,
3 and 5 years BMI was assessed and the CBCL was complet-
ed on 4853 children. The CFQ and DISC were completed at
age 5. Picky eaters were identified using the CBCL questions
“does not eat well” and “refuses to eat”, validated by the
CFQ subscale of picky eating.
Results
: Preliminary results
show a prevalence of picky eating in early childhood between
32 - 42%.
Conclusion
: Picky eating is a common problem
throughout early childhood.
T16
EATING DISORDERS AND OBSESSIVE COMULSIVE
DISORDERS SYMPTOM DIMENSIONS: AN EXPLORATIVE
STUDY IN A LARGE SAMPLE OF OCD PATIENTS
Unna N. Danner
1,2
, Lot Sternheim
1,2
, Danielle C. Cath
3,4
,
Patricia van Oppen
5
, Marleen M. Rijkeboer
3,4
, Iris Engelhard
3,4
,
Annemarie A. van Elburg
1,2
, Gert-Jan Hendriks
6
, Anton J.L.M.
van Balkom
7
1
Altrecht Eating Disorders Rintveld, Zeist, Netherlands,
2
Utrecht Research Group Eating disorders, Utrecht, Nether-
lands,
3
Altrecht Academic Anxiety centre, Utrecht, Nether-
lands,
4
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Utrecht
University, Netherlands,
5
Mental Health Institute inGeest/VU-
MC, Amsterdam, Netherlands,
6
Centre for Anxiety Disorders
Overwaal, Nijmegen, Netherlands,
7
Department of Psychiatry
VU-MC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Rational and objective
: Increasing evidence suggests that
obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and eating disorders
(ED) share underlying etiological factors. Indeed an exten-
sive literature confirms high rates of both current and lifetime
OCD comorbidity in ED, and ED patients often engage in
food-related obsessions/compulsions. Understanding ED
symptomatology in OCD patients is crucial in understanding
shared underlying factors and in improving treatment for
those patients with ED-OCD comorbidity. However, whilst a
number of studies report on correlates of OCD in ED, infor-
mation on ED pathology in OCD patients remains lacking.
This study examined the relationship between OCD symptom
dimensions, symptom severity and ED characteristics, using
both categorical diagnoses of ED as assessed with the SCID
and BMI indices.
Method
: Data from The Netherlands OCD
Association (or NOCDA), a high quality database with longi-
tudinal data on 419 OCD patients, were analyzed for these
purposes.
Results
: Analyses are ongoing, preliminary results
show 17 OCD patients were diagnosed with current comorbid
ED (4.5 %) and 44 patients were diagnosed with life time ED
(10.5% of the population). ED Patients with both current and
lifetime comorbid ED had higher BMI’s then those without ED
, reaching obese levels. More specific information regarding
particular OCD behaviors and ED subtypes, as well as char-
acteristics of the ED group will be provided.
POSTER SESSION 1 ABSTRACTS