title: A study of the association of (Val66Met) polymorphism in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene with alcohol dependence and extreme violence in Chinese males.
abstract: From studies of genetic-knockout animals, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a member of the neurotrophin growth-factor family, has been implicated in both alcohol preference and aggressive behaviour. To test whether a BDNF genetic variant may be associated with alcohol-dependent and violent behaviours, we studied Val66Met polymorphism of the BDNF-gene in 110 cases of alcohol-dependence, in 134 extremely violent convicts, and in 149 individuals without psychosis or mood disorders. We also examined the association of this polymorphism with antisocial personality disorder comorbidity in the extremely violent convicts. The results showed that the genotype and allele frequencies for Val66Met polymorphism at the BDNF-gene site did not differ among the three groups. Furthermore, it was not demonstrated that this polymorphism is associated with antisocial personality disorder comorbidity in the extremely violent convicts. Based on these findings, it seems reasonable to suggest that this BDNF-gene Val66Met polymorphism is unlikely to play a major role in the genetic susceptibility to the traits of alcohol-dependence or violence proneness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, No. 201 Shih-Pai Road, Sec. 2, 11217 Taipei, Taiwan. sjtsai@vghtpe.gov.tw
authors.forename: Shih-Jen
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Ding-Lieh
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Younger W-Y
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Tai-Jui
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hung-Chi
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chun-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chih-Ya
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Chen-Jee
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics*; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014754:Violence
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor