Interaction of genetic liability for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and perinatal inflammation contributes to ADHD symptoms in children

Genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Perinatal inflammation is one of the promising environmental risk factors for ADHD, but the relationship between the genetic risk for ADHD and perinatal inflammation requires further examination. A possible gene-environmental interaction between perinatal inflammation and ADHD polygenic risk score (ADHD-PRS) on ADHD symptoms was investigated in children aged 8–9 from the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort for Mothers and Children (N = 531). Perinatal inflammation was evaluated by the level of concentration of three cytokines assayed in umbilical cord blood. The genetic risk for ADHD was assessed by calculating ADHD-PRS for each individual using a previously collected genome-wide association study of ADHD. Perinatal inflammation (β [SE], 0.263 [0.017]; P