title: Ghrelin precursor gene polymorphism and methamphetamine dependence in the Korean population.
abstract: Ghrelin is a recently isolated brain-gut peptide that has growth hormone-releasing and appetite-inducing activities. Several recent studies have suggested that ghrelin plays a major role in the pathophysiology of drug-seeking behavior and anxiety. Therefore, we assessed the effect of the ghrelin precursor polymorphism on methamphetamine dependence in the Korean population. One hundred and eighteen patients with methamphetamine dependence, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) criteria, and the 144 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Genotyping for the ghrelin precursor polymorphism was performed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism-based technique. The genotypic and allelic distributions of the ghrelin precursor polymorphism in the patients with methamphetamine dependence were not significantly different from those of the control subjects. However, the Met72 carriers were associated with the emotional problems of methamphetamine dependence. The patients with the Met72 allele were more depressed and anxious than the homozygous patients with the wild Leu72 allele. The present study suggests that the ghrelin precursor polymorphism may not confer a susceptibility to the development of methamphetamine dependence in the Korean population. However, the Leu72Met polymorphism could have a potential role in the emotional problems that are associated with this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, St. Paul's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Su-Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Chi-Un
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Pae
authors.forename: Heejin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Bomoon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Tae-Suk
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: In Kyoon
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Lyoo
authors.forename: Do-Hoon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Dai-Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D054439:Ghrelin; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009037:Motilin / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D054439:Ghrelin; D008694:Methamphetamine; D009037:Motilin