title: Involvement of the mu-opioid receptor gene polymorphism A118G in the efficacy of detoxification of alcohol dependent patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The A118G (rs 1799971) polymorphism in the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) has been reported to be associated with alcohol addiction.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study 109 patients diagnosed with alcohol dependence in accordance with DMS-IV criteria and 95 healthy subjects were enrolled and everyone has been genotyped.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of alcoholic patients with higher than normal gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels significantly decreased after six months of standard detoxification treatment, both in patients with A/A genotype and in the other ones with A/G genotype. However, the percentage of alcohol dependent patients with the A/A genotype recorded a slight decrease of the GGT and the mean corpuscolar volume of erythrocytes (MCV) combination marker after six months of therapy (30% vs 12%), while subjects with the A/G genotype showed no variation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This finding suggests that alcohol dependent patients with the A/A genotype could have a faster restoration of their liver function than those ones with the A/G genotype: it might be possible that the presence of G allele confers on these patients a reduced ability in abstaining from drinking alcohol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, n. 2, I-16132, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fucile
authors.forename: Maria Laura
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Zuccoli
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Testino
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sumberaz
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Robbiano
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martelli
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mattioli
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000235:genetics*; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: C485764:OPRM1 protein, human; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase