title: Association study between alcoholism and endocannabinoid metabolic enzyme genes encoding fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoglyceride lipase in a Japanese population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoglyceride lipase (MGLL) are the major endocannabinoid metabolic enzymes. Owing to the importance of endocannabinoid system in addiction, the Pro129Thr polymorphism in the FAAH gene has reportedly been associated with substance abuse and dependence in a Caucasian population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the single nucleodtide polymorphisms of the FAAH and MGLL genes are associated with alcoholism in a Japanese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted case-control studies for total 14 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms in those two genes using Japanese 729 patients with alcoholism and 799 healthy controls. Genotype and allele frequencies were compared between these groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of these genetic markers, however, showed significant association with alcoholism in Japanese.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Whereas we examined associations in a larger sample size between alcoholism and tag single nucleotide polymorphisms that covered most regions of these endocannabinoid metabolic enzyme genes, we found that these are not associated with susceptibility to alcoholism in a Japanese population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. hishigur@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: Emmanuel S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Onaivi
authors.forename: Tadao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arinami
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D000581:Amidohydrolases / Q000235:genetics*; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017931:DNA Primers; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008994:Monoacylglycerol Lipases / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D000099252:Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases
chemical_list: D000581:Amidohydrolases; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D017931:DNA Primers; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D008994:Monoacylglycerol Lipases; D000099252:Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases