Serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism and differences in alcohol consumption behaviour in a college student population.
OBJECTIVE
In the present study, differences in alcohol consumption behaviour associated with the presence of the short variant (S) of the serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) was investigated in a Caucasian subset (n = 204) of 268 college students.


RESULTS
Students who were homozygous for the S allele were more likely to engage in binge-drinking behaviour, drank more alcohol per occasion, and reported drinking to get drunk more often.


CONCLUSIONS
In this Caucasian sample, the 5-HTTLPR strongly influences alcohol consumption in late pubescence.
Herman
Aryeh I
AI
Unit of Clinical and Biochemical Pharmacology, Laboratory of Clinical Studies, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH 10/3C103, 10 Center Drive, MSC 1256, Bethesda, MD 20892-1256, USA.
Philbeck
John W
JW
Vasilopoulos
Nicholas L
NL
Depetrillo
Paolo B
PB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins