title: Association of the serotonin transporter gene polymorphism with Korean male alcoholics.
abstract: This study investigated the association between the serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and alcoholism in the Korean population. In addition, in order to reduce the clinical heterogeneity, sub-analysis was carried out according to some clinical variables such as a family history of alcoholism, aggressive/violent behavior and the age of onset of alcoholism. One hundred and forty-five patients meeting the DSM-VI criteria for alcohol dependence and 201 healthy controls were examined. Genotyping was performed using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method. The frequency of the L-allele of 5-HTTLPR was significantly higher in the alcohol dependent patients than in the normal controls (chi(2)=19.11, df=1, p<0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the allelic distribution between the subgroups defined by a family history of alcoholism (chi(2)=4.005, df=1, p=0.045). This study suggests a putative role of the 5-HTTLPR for alcoholism in the Korean population. However, a replication study with larger different ethnic samples and a refinement of the subtype of alcoholism is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Uijongbu St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, 65-1, Geumo-Dong, Uijongbu city, Gyeonggi-do 480-130, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Sil
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kweon
authors.forename: Hae Kook
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chung Tai
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyoung-Uk
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chi Un
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Pae
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins