ArticlePloS one2014
Differential methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene in patients with anorexia nervosa: a pilot study.
Article in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
47 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 100 citations in OpenAlex.
- Epigenetic alterations in patients with anorexia nervosa-a systematic review.Molecular psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Potential shortcomings in current studies on the effect of intranasal oxytocin in Anorexia Nervosa and healthy controls - A systematic review and meta-analysis.Psychopharmacology · 2020Pooled it
- Epigenetics in eating disorders: a systematic review.Molecular psychiatry · 2019Pooled it
- The role of oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) DNA methylation (DNAm) in human social and emotional functioning: a systematic narrative review.BMC psychiatry · 2018Pooled it
- Genetic and epigenetic signatures associated with plasma oxytocin levels in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2023Trial
- Trial
- Adolescent disordered eating and epigenetic age acceleration.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Article
- An epigenetic framework for understanding contextual influences on neural and socio-emotional development: Narrative review and case-study of the oxytocin receptor.Developmental cognitive neuroscience · 2026Review
- Parental behavior, adult attachment, and DNA methylation of the MT2 oxytocin receptor gene region - The moderating role of neuroticism.PloS one · 2026Article
- Oxytocin treatment at birth accelerates an epigenetic shift in the oxytocin receptor gene in the maternal brain.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- The impact of the early environment on oxytocin receptor epigenetics and potential therapeutic implications.Pediatric research · 2025Review
- Inclusion of the severe and enduring anorexia nervosa phenotype in genetics research: a scoping review.Journal of eating disorders · 2024Article
- OXTR DNA methylation differentiates men on the obesity spectrum with and without binge eating disorder.Clinical epigenetics · 2022Article
- Distinct promoter regions of the oxytocin receptor gene are hypomethylated in Prader-Willi syndrome and in Prader-Willi syndrome associated psychosis.Translational psychiatry · 2022Article
- Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling in anorexia nervosa discordant identical twins.Translational psychiatry · 2022Article
- An epigenetic rheostat of experience: DNA methylation ofComprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology · 2021Review
- Review of eating disorders and oxytocin receptor polymorphisms.Journal of eating disorders · 2021Review
- Individuals Diagnosed with Binge-Eating Disorder Have DNA Hypomethylated Sites in Genes of the Metabolic System: A Pilot Study.Nutrients · 2021Article
- Genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors controlling oxytocin receptor gene expression.Clinical epigenetics · 2021Article
- Chronic stress and adipose tissue in the anorexic state: endocrine and epigenetic mechanisms.Adipocyte · 2020Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimRecent studies in patients with anorexia nervosa suggest that oxytocin may be involved in the pathophysiology of anorexia nervosa. We examined whether there was evidence of variation in methylation status of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene in patients with anorexia nervosa that might account for these findings.
methodsWe analyzed the methylation status of the CpG sites in a region from the exon 1 to the MT2 regions of the OXTR gene in buccal cells from 15 patients and 36 healthy women using bisulfite sequencing. We further examined whether methylation status was associated with markers of illness severity or form.
resultsWe identified six CpG sites with significant differences in average methylation levels between the patient and control groups. Among the six differentially methylated CpG sites, five showed higher than average methylation levels in patients than those in the control group (64.9-88.8% vs. 6.6-45.0%). The methylation levels of these five CpG sites were negatively associated with body mass index (BMI). BMI, eating disorders psychopathology, and anxiety were identified in a regression analysis as factors affecting the methylation levels of these CpG sites with more variation accounted for by BMI.
conclusionsEpigenetic misregulation of the OXTR gene may be implicated in anorexia nervosa, which may either be a mechanism linking environmental adversity to risk or may be a secondary consequence of the illness.
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