Endogenous opioid receptor genes and alcohol dependence among Taiwanese Han.
BACKGROUND
Nonselective opioid antagonists reduce alcohol consumption under various experimental situations, and several association studies have examined possible roles of opioid receptor mu (OPRM), delta (OPRD), and kappa (OPRK) genes in the development of alcohol dependence.


METHODS
We examined 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the OPRM, OPRD, and OPRK genes in 158 alcohol-dependent subjects and 149 controls. Differences in allele frequency and genotype distribution between case subjects and controls, as well as the deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, were examined using Fisher's exact tests.


RESULTS
No significant difference in either allele or genotype frequency was found between case subjects and controls for each of the SNPs.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings do not support a possible role of the opioid receptor genes for the proclivity to alcohol dependence in the Taiwanese Han.
Loh
El Wui
el W
National Genotyping Center at Academia Sinica, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
Fann
Cathy S J
CS
Chang
Yuh Terng
YT
Chang
Ching Jui
CJ
Cheng
Andrew T A
AT
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics*; D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000235:genetics*; D013624:Taiwan
D018847:Opioid Peptides; D011957:Receptors, Opioid