title: Interaction between novelty seeking and the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 gene in heroin-dependent patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Heroin dependence is a multifactor disorder. We investigated the association of genetic factors and heroin-dependent temperaments to determine whether a temperament-gene interaction is involved in the pathogenesis of heroin dependence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred seventy participants (259 heroin-dependent patients and 111 healthy controls) were recruited and finished the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire to assess personality traits (temperament). The genotypes of the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) gene and the Val66Met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene using polymerase chain reactions plus restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multiple logistic regression analysis showed significant main effects for novelty seeking (P ≤ 0.001) and harm-avoidance (P = 0.001) scores, and a significant interaction effect between novelty seeking and ALDH2 genotypes (P = 0.016) in heroin-dependent patients compared with controls. When stratified by the ALDH2 genotypes, only heroin-dependent patients with the *1*2 and *2*2 genotypes at ALDH2 had higher novelty-seeking scores than did controls (heroin dependence = 15.94, controls = 12.46; P ≤ 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results provide initial evidence that the ALDH2 gene interacted with novelty seeking in heroin-dependent Han Chinese patients in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sheng-Yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tzu-Yun
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shiou-Lan
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: San-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Nian-Sheng
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Tzeng
authors.forename: Yun-Hsuan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chen-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-Shan
authors.initials: YS
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; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C096127:ALDH2 protein, human; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial