A family-based analysis of whether the functional promoter alleles of the serotonin transporter gene HTT affect the risk for alcohol dependence.
A population association between a regulatory variation in the promoter of the serotonin transporter gene (HTT) and severe alcohol dependence was recently reported. We analyzed this potential association in a large number of systematically ascertained families in the United States; these families had at least three first-degree relatives who were alcohol-dependent. Analyses focused on individuals defined as alcohol-dependent by criteria from ICD-10 and on subsets of these individuals reporting withdrawal-related symptoms. Application of the transmission disequilibrium test did not provide support for either linkage or association between this functional polymorphism and alcohol dependence; there was no significant bias in the transmission of either allele to the alcohol-dependent offspring. We also report that African Americans differ from Caucasians in allele frequencies for this polymorphism.
Edenberg
H J
HJ
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202-5122, USA.
Reynolds
J
J
Koller
D L
DL
Begleiter
H
H
Bucholz
K K
KK
Conneally
P M
PM
Crowe
R
R
Goate
A
A
Hesselbrock
V
V
Li
T K
TK
Nurnberger
J I
JI
Porjesz
B
B
Reich
T
T
Rice
J P
JP
Schuckit
M
M
Tischfield
J A
JA
Foroud
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000235:genetics; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics*; D000483:Alleles; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins