Association of monoamine oxidase A alleles with alcoholism among male Chinese in Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
The role of monoamine oxidase (MAO) in alcoholism was assessed by genetic association studies separately in five ethnic groups in Taiwan.


METHODS
Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) and dinucleotide repeat polymorphisms (DNRP) were used to determine MAOA and MAOB alleles in male alcoholic patients and nonalcoholic comparison subjects among Han Chinese and four aboriginal groups.


RESULTS
Significant associations of alcohol dependence with MAOA alleles (RFLP and DNRP) were found among the Han Chinese, but not among the aboriginal groups. No significant association with MAOB DNRP alleles was found in any group.


CONCLUSIONS
Genetic heterogeneity may underlie alcoholism among different ethnic groups in Taiwan, and MAOA mutations may play a role in susceptibility to alcoholism among Han Chinese.
Hsu
Y P
YP
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Loh
E W
EW
Chen
W J
WJ
Chen
C C
CC
Yu
J M
JM
Cheng
A T
AT
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000201:enzymology / Q000208:ethnology*; D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D018900:Dinucleotide Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D044469:Racial Groups; D012737:Sex Factors; D013624:Taiwan
D008995:Monoamine Oxidase