title: The relationship between serotonin receptor 1B polymorphisms A-161T and alcohol dependence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies have suggested that the serotonin receptor 1B gene (5HT1B) may be important in the pathogenesis of alcohol dependence (alcoholism; ALC; AD). We examined whether 5HT1B gene A-161T polymorphisms (rs130058) are a susceptibility factor for total AD and subgroups of AD. We further explored correlation of this 5HT1B gene variant between anxiety-depression alcoholism (ANX/DEP ALC) and antisocial alcoholism (antisocial ALC) subgroups because of the high comorbidity of anxiety-depression, antisocial personality disorder, and AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 522 Han Chinese in Taiwan for this study: 322 AD patients and 200 controls. The patient group was recruited primarily from medical teaching hospitals; patients with antisocial alcoholism were recruited from Taiwanese prisons. Individuals with AD were classified into 3 homogeneous clinical subgroups -- pure alcoholism (pure ALC), ANX/DEP ALC, and antisocial ALC -- using DSM-IV diagnosis. The 5HT1B gene A-161T polymorphism was determined using PCR-RFLP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in genotypic and allelic frequencies were found between controls and the total AD group or between controls and the 3 AD subgroups. However, there were significant differences in the 5HT1B gene A-161T polymorphism at both the genotype and allelic levels between the ANX/DEP ALC and antisocial ALC subgroups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that the 5HT1B gene A-161T polymorphism alone is not a risk factor for increasing susceptibility to either AD or its subtypes. However, 5HT1B gene A-161T polymorphisms might be one of the common genetic factors between the ANX/DEP ALC and antisocial ALC subgroups.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sheng-Yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Wei-Wen
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: San-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Po-Hsiu
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Chen-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Pei-Lin
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shiou-Lan
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jo Yung-Wei
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Huei-Chen
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Ru-Band
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D000483:Alleles; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D044302:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B / Q000235:genetics*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D044302:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B; D004247:DNA