The relationship between serotonin receptor 1B polymorphisms A-161T and alcohol dependence.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Several studies have suggested that the serotonin receptor 1B gene (5HT1B) may be important in the pathogenesis of alcohol dependence (alcoholism; ALC; AD). We examined whether 5HT1B gene A-161T polymorphisms (rs130058) are a susceptibility factor for total AD and subgroups of AD. We further explored correlation of this 5HT1B gene variant between anxiety-depression alcoholism (ANX/DEP ALC) and antisocial alcoholism (antisocial ALC) subgroups because of the high comorbidity of anxiety-depression, antisocial personality disorder, and AD.

METHODS:

We recruited 522 Han Chinese in Taiwan for this study: 322 AD patients and 200 controls. The patient group was recruited primarily from medical teaching hospitals; patients with antisocial alcoholism were recruited from Taiwanese prisons. Individuals with AD were classified into 3 homogeneous clinical subgroups -- pure alcoholism (pure ALC), ANX/DEP ALC, and antisocial ALC -- using DSM-IV diagnosis. The 5HT1B gene A-161T polymorphism was determined using PCR-RFLP.

RESULTS:

No significant differences in genotypic and allelic frequencies were found between controls and the total AD group or between controls and the 3 AD subgroups. However, there were significant differences in the 5HT1B gene A-161T polymorphism at both the genotype and allelic levels between the ANX/DEP ALC and antisocial ALC subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study suggests that the 5HT1B gene A-161T polymorphism alone is not a risk factor for increasing susceptibility to either AD or its subtypes. However, 5HT1B gene A-161T polymorphisms might be one of the common genetic factors between the ANX/DEP ALC and antisocial ALC subgroups.

• Authors: Sheng-Yu Lee, Wei-Wen Lin, San-Yuan Huang, Po-Hsiu Kuo, Chen-Lin Wang, Pei-Lin Wu, Shiou-Lan Chen, Jo Yung-Wei Wu, Huei-Chen Ko, Ru-Band Lu
• Journal: Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research (Alcohol Clin Exp Res) Vol. 33 Issue 9 Pg. 1589-95 (Sep 2009) ISSN: 1530-0277 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 19519719 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• DNA Primers
• Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B
• DNA

Topics

• Adult
• Alcoholism (classification, epidemiology, genetics)
• Alleles
• Antisocial Personality Disorder (genetics, psychology)
• Anxiety (genetics, psychology)
• DNA (biosynthesis, genetics)
• DNA Primers
• Depression (genetics, psychology)
• Female
• Gene Frequency
• Genotype
• Humans
• Logistic Models
• Male
• Polymorphism, Genetic (genetics)
• Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
• Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
• Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B (genetics)
• Taiwan (epidemiology)