title: Polymorphisms of DRD4 and DRD3 and risk of avoidant and obsessive personality traits and disorders.
abstract: We investigated whether polymorphisms of the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) and polymorphisms of the dopamine D3 receptor (DRD3) were associated with personality disorder symptomatology rather than with personality traits such as novelty seeking. DNA was obtained from 145 depressed patients in a clinical trial. These patients were assessed for the presence of personality disorder symptoms and disorders. The 2-repeat allele of the DRD4 exon III polymorphism was associated with increased rates of avoidant and obsessive personality disorder symptomatology. The T,T genotype of the DRD4 -521 C>T polymorphism was also associated with increased rates of avoidant and obsessive personality disorder symptomatology. The Gly9,Gly9 genotype of the DRD3 Ser9Gly polymorphism was associated with increased rates of obsessive personality disorder symptomatology. None of these three polymorphisms were associated with novelty seeking or other temperament traits on the Temperament and Character Inventory. Our results suggest that genetic polymorphisms of DRD4 and DRD3 may well be associated with personality traits, and that conflicting findings to date may arise from the problem of phenotype definition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, P.O. Box 4345, Christchurch, New Zealand. peter.joyce@chmeds.ac.nz
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Joyce
authors.forename: Geraldine R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Allison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Roger T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: Suzanne E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Luty
authors.forename: Martin A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kennedy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D002605:Character; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009661:Nortriptyline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000235:genetics*; D050637:Receptors, Dopamine D3; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4; D012307:Risk Factors; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013694:Temperament; D018911:Trinucleotide Repeats / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005473:Fluoxetine; D009661:Nortriptyline; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D050637:Receptors, Dopamine D3; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; C493593:DRD3 protein, human; C493599:DRD4 protein, human