Human mu-opioid receptor variation and alcohol dependence.
Mu-Opioid receptor-mediated neurotransmission is involved in the reward, tolerance, and withdrawal effects of alcohol. The present association study tested the hypothesis that the common Asn40Asp substitution polymorphism in the N-terminal domain of the human mu-opioid receptor (OPRM) confers vulnerability to subtypes of alcohol dependence. The genotypes of the Asn40Asp substitution polymorphism were assessed in 327 German alcohol-dependent subjects (according to ICD-10) and in 340 control subjects of German descent, using an assay based on allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. To select alcoholics with a presumed high genetic load, three subgroups were delineated, marked by (1) a family history of parental alcoholism (n = 114); (2) the inability to abstain from alcohol before the age of 26 years (n = 73); and (3) a history of alcohol withdrawal seizure or delirium (n = 107). The frequency of the Asp40 allele did not differ significantly between the controls [f(Asp40) = 0.078] and either the entire group of alcoholics [f(Asp40) = 0.107; p = 0.066], or the alcoholics with parental alcoholism [f(Asp40) = 0.114; p = 0.094], or the early-onset alcoholics [f(Asp40) = 0.096; p = 0.471,[ or the alcoholics with severe withdrawal symptoms [f(Asp40) = 0.098; p = 0.350]. Our results do not provide evidence that the common Asn40Asp substitution polymorphism of the OPRM gene contributes a major effect to the pathogenesis of alcohol dependence.
Sander
T
T
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Benjamin Franklin, Free University of Berlin, Germany.
Gscheidel
N
N
Wendel
B
B
Samochowiec
J
J
Smolka
M
M
Rommelspacher
H
H
Schmidt
L G
LG
Hoehe
M R
MR
D000328:Adult; D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000235:genetics / Q000534:rehabilitation; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D000483:Alleles; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005838:Genotype; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors
D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu