title: Dopamine D4 receptor gene and personality dimensions in Brazilian male alcoholics.
abstract: The presence of the seven-repeat allele of the VNTR in the exon 3 of the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) has been associated in healthy subjects to the personality trait of novelty seeking. The present study focuses these observations on a sample of Brazilian male alcoholics, evaluated on the temperament dimensions originally described by Cloninger. The genotypes observed are in agreement with those expected under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Subjects with the seven-repeat allele manifest lower harm avoidance scores. No significant differences between subjects with or without the seven-repeat allele in the scores of novelty seeking or reward dependence were observed. The lack of association between novelty seeking and the DRD4 exon 3 polymorphism is further corroborated by the fact that the comorbid antisocial personality disorder is not associated to the presence of the seven-repeat allele. These results could be explained by a biological connection between the personality dimensions of novelty seeking and harm avoidance.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. bau@if.ufrgs.br
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Bau
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hutz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D001938:Brazil; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005091:Exons; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000235:genetics*; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C493599:DRD4 protein, human; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4