Association of IL-1B genetic polymorphisms with an increased risk of opioid and alcohol dependence.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between genetic variability of IL-1B, which encodes for the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1beta and the risk of developing opioid dependence. To confirm a previous study, we also examined the association between the IL-1B genetic polymorphism and alcohol dependence.


METHODS
Genomic DNA was isolated from 60 opioid-dependent, 99 alcohol-dependent patients and 60 healthy nondependent controls. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism were used to determine the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms at positions -511, -31 and 3954 of IL-1B.


RESULTS
IL-1B -511C and -31T alleles were more frequent in both the opioid-dependent and alcohol-dependent patients compared with the control group: odds ratio (OR, 95% confidence interval) P values corrected for false discovery rate=1.91 (1.14-3.20), P=0.043 and 1.89 (1.19-2.99), P=0.014, respectively, for IL-1B -511C>T; and OR=1.74 (1.02-2.97), P=0.066 and 1.80 (1.13-2.88), P=0.017, respectively, for IL-1B -31T>C. In contrast, no association was observed between opioid dependence and the IL-1B 3954C>T single nucleotide polymorphism [OR=1.60 (0.84-3.02), P=0.15].


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms the previous finding that IL-1B polymorphism is associated with altered risk of alcohol dependence. IL-1B single nucleotide polymorphisms at position -511 and -31, which increase IL-1beta production, occur at a higher frequency in opioid-dependent populations and may be associated, albeit weakly, with an increased risk of opioid dependence.
Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Liang
L
Liu
Mark R
MR
Hutchinson
Jason M
JM
White
Andrew A
AA
Somogyi
Janet K
JK
Coller
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics*; D000483:Alleles; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*
D053583:Interleukin-1beta