NPY Leu7Pro and alcohol dependence in Finnish and Swedish populations.
BACKGROUND
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a modulator of alcohol intake in animal models of alcoholism, and is potentially involved in alcohol dependence. A coding Leu7Pro polymorphism in the signal peptide of preproNPY has been described, and the Pro7 allele has been reported to correlate with increased alcohol consumption in non-dependent Finnish males. Recently, this polymorphism was also reported to be associated with an actual diagnosis of alcohol dependence.


METHODS
We compared Pro7 allele frequencies in one Finnish (n = 135) and one Swedish (n = 472) population of alcohol dependent individuals, and ethnically matched controls (Finns: n = 213; Swedes: n = 177) in whom alcohol dependence was established, or any diagnosis of substance disorder was excluded, respectively, through the use of structured face-to-face interviews.


RESULTS
Pro7 frequencies in alcoholics were 5.2 and 4.1% in Finns and Swedes, respectively, similar to the 5.0-5.5% recently reported in European Americans in a Yale study. However, corresponding frequencies in the control populations were similar, at 6.1 and 5.9% in Finns and Swedes, respectively, yielding no association, in contrast with the Yale study, where an association was reported based on a 2.0% Pro7 frequency in European American controls. A meta-analysis of available data yields Pro7 frequencies of 4.7% both in Caucasian alcoholics and Caucasian controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Pro7 does not seem to be associated with a diagnosis of alcoholism in Caucasian populations.
Zhu
Guanshan
G
Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, National Institutes of Health, USA.
Pollak
Lotta
L
Mottagui-Tabar
Salim
S
Wahlestedt
Claes
C
Taubman
Julie
J
Virkkunen
Matti
M
Goldman
David
D
Heilig
Markus
M
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics*; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution / Q000235:genetics*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D011498:Protein Precursors; C042084:preproneuropeptide Y