title: The TaqI A1 allele of the dopamine D2 receptor gene and alcoholism in Brazil: association and interaction with stress and harm avoidance on severity prediction.
abstract: Allele and genotype frequencies of the TaqI A polymorphism of dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene were compared in 115 alcohol-dependent Brazilian males and 114 ethnically matched controls. Regression analyses were performed to test for an interactive effect between the DRD2 TaqI A1 allele and measures of stress and harm avoidance on severity of alcoholism and number of antisocial personality symptoms. A slightly positive association of DRD2 TaqI A1 genotypes with alcoholism was observed, by standard and molecular heterosis approaches. The DRD2 TaqI A1 allele showed significant interaction with stress and harm avoidance in predicting the severity of physiologic dependence, and with harm avoidance for the number of antisocial personality symptoms. Separate partial correlation analyses showed that stress-related variables were significantly correlated with severity scores in alcoholics with the allele, but not in those without it. This is the first demonstration of an interaction between a genetic polymorphism and stress-related measures on the severity of psychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. bau@if.ufrgs.br
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Bau
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 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D000483:Alleles; D001938:Brazil; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000235:genetics*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; C027046:TCGA-specific type II deoxyribonucleases