title: Interaction between serotonin transporter and serotonin receptor 1 B genes polymorphisms may be associated with antisocial alcoholism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies have hypothesized that genes regulating the components of the serotonin system, including serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and serotonin 1 B receptor (5-HT1B), may be associated with alcoholism, but their results are contradictory because of alcoholism's heterogeneity. Therefore, we examined whether the 5-HTTLPR gene and 5-HT1B gene G861C polymorphism are susceptibility factors for a specific subtype of alcoholism, antisocial alcoholism in Han Chinese in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 273 Han Chinese male inmates with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) [antisocial alcoholism (AS-ALC) group (n=120) and antisocial non-alcoholism (AS-N-ALC) group (n=153)] and 191 healthy male controls from the community. Genotyping was done using PCR-RFLP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in the genotypic frequency of the 5-HT1B G861C polymorphism between the 3 groups. Although AS-ALC group members more frequently carried the 5-HTTLPR S/S, S/LG, and LG/LG genotypes than controls, the difference became non-significant after controlling for the covarying effects of age. However, the 5-HTTLPR S/S, S/LG, and LG/LG genotypes may have interacted with the 5-HT1B G861C C/C polymorphism and increased the risk of becoming antisocial alcoholism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that neither the 5-HTTLPR gene nor the 5-HT1B G861C polymorphism alone is a risk factor for antisocial alcoholism in Taiwan's Han Chinese population, but that the interaction between both genes may increase susceptibility to antisocial alcoholism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tzu-Yun
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Sheng-Yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shiou-Lan
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yun-Hsuan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Shih-Heng
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chun-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: San-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Nian-Sheng
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Tzeng
authors.forename: Chen-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: I Hui
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tzung Lieh
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Yen Kuang
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ru-Band
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D044302:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D044302:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins