title: The proenkephalin gene (PENK) and opioid dependence.
abstract: We tested the hypothesis that the alleles at the (CA)n repeat of the proenkephalin gene (PENK) might be associated with opioid addiction in 31 non-Hispanic Caucasian subjects with opioid dependence (heroin), 89 ethnically matched subjects with substance dependence other than opioid dependence and 132 controls. Among the subjects with opioid dependence, 66% carried the > or = 81 bp allele compared with 40% of subjects with other types of substance abuse (chi2 = 11.31, p < 0.004) and 49% of controls (chi2 = 6.0, p < 0.015). These results are consistent with a role of the PENK gene in opioid dependence.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D000483:Alleles; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D018900:Dinucleotide Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics