Association between drinking-related antisocial behavior and a polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene in a Japanese population.
BACKGROUND
Involvement of the serotoninergic system (S/S) in alcoholism has been suggested in both mice and humans. Previous studies have suggested the S/S genotype of the serotonin transporter gene promoter polymorphism to be associated with severe alcohol dependence marked by severe withdrawal symptoms. It has also been associated with alcoholics who exhibit a dissocial personality disorder.


METHODS
We examined the polymorphism in 166 Japanese alcoholics who experienced withdrawal seizure or delirium and 290 Japanese controls.


RESULTS
The S/S genotype was not increased in the patients. Exploratory analyses showed significantly less frequent S allele and S/S genotype frequencies in the alcoholics with a history of drinking-related arrests than in the controls (p = 0.009 and p = 0.03, respectively), perhaps reflecting previously reported harm avoidance personality traits associated with S/S. Alcoholics with the L allele had a significantly earlier onset of alcohol dependence than those with the S/S genotype (p = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The present study failed to provide supportive evidence for an association of the S/S genotype with severe alcoholism marked by physical withdrawal symptoms or with antisocial behaviors among the Japanese. Although our data support involvement of the central serotoninergic system in some types of alcoholism, the potential association findings of this study emerged as only exploratory and, therefore, should be understood as tentative until replicated in other studies.
Ishiguro
H
H
Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Saito
T
T
Akazawa
S
S
Mitushio
H
H
Tada
K
K
Enomoto
M
M
Mifune
H
H
Toru
M
M
Shibuya
H
H
Arinami
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000235:genetics*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012919:Social Behavior
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins