title: Harmful drinking in military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: association with the D2 dopamine receptor A1 allele.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The frequency of the Taq I A alleles (A1 and A2) of the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) gene was examined in Caucasian post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients and controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 91 PTSD patients, the frequency of the A1 allele was higher (P = 6.12 x 10(-3)) than in the 51 controls. In the 38 PTSD harmful drinkers (>or=60 g alcohol/day), A1 allelic frequency was higher (P = 3.91 x 10(-2)) than in the 53 non-harmful drinkers (<60 g alcohol/day), the former being also higher (P = 3.76 x 10(-4)) than in controls. However, there was no difference between non-harmful drinkers and controls. Based on DRD2 allelic association, the 35 PTSD patients with the A1(+) (A1A1, A1A2) allele consumed more than twice the daily amount of alcohol than the 56 patients with the A1(-) (A2A2) allele (P = 1.94 x 10(-3)). When the hourly rate of alcohol consumed was compared, A1(+) allelic patients consumed twice the rate of the A1(-) allelic patients (P < 10(-7)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The DRD2 A1 allele was associated with PTSD. However, this association was found only in the harmful drinkers. PTSD patients with the A1(+) allele consumed more alcohol than patients with the A1(-) allele. The importance of determining alcohol consumption in DRD2 association studies with PTSD is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Psychiatry, Southern Clinical Division, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: R McD
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Lawford
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilkie
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shadforth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D000483:Alleles; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000235:genetics*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2