title: The DRD2A₁allele: a behavioural genetic risk factor in hepatitis C infection of persistent drug abusers.
abstract: Hepatitis C is highly prevalent among intravenous drug abusers, but to date research has not widely explicated behavioural risk factors regarding acquisition of infection. The A₁allele of the D₂ dopamine receptor (DRD2) gene is a hypothesized risk factor in the development of severe drug dependence and alcoholism. The present study compares the frequency of the A₁ allele of the DRD2 gene among 37 patients presenting to a hepatitis clinic for treatment of hepatitis C, 23 hepatitis C-negative drug-abusing patients maintained on methadone and 33 non-drug-abusing controls. The results indicated that hepatitis C-positive patients were significantly more likely to display the A₁ allele than hepatitis C-negative patients, who were in turn more likely to have the A₁ allele than controls. Furthermore, the hepatitis C subjects manifested more persistent drug-seeking behaviour than the other drug-abusing group. The implications of this finding in terms of drug-related reward are discussed. Future research should attempt to evaluate host risk factors, in order to enable more precisely targeted attempts at harm minimization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lawford
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rowell
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shadforth
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Cooksley