title: Alcohol dependence and serotonin transporter functional polymorphisms 5-HTTLPR and rs25531 in an Italian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The role of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) in alcohol dependence (AD) is still unclear. In this paper, we have evaluated the association of the SLC6A4 gene polymorphisms 5-HTTLPR and rs25531 in AD and assessed the polymorphic patterns both in alcoholics and in healthy people of an Italian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Genotyping of the 5-HTTLPR (L/S) and rs25531 (A/G) polymorphisms of the SLC6A4 gene was performed on 403 alcoholics outpatients and 427 blood donors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparing AD and control populations and taking into account statistical correction for multiple testing, we found no statistically significant differences for 5-HTTLPR (L/S) and rs25531 polymorphisms in terms of either genotypes or alleles frequencies. By univariate ANOVA, a statistically significant difference was found in the onset of AD: the mean age of onset resulted to be of 25.4 years in males in respect to 28.1 in females. In particular in males, the early AD onset was different, in a statistically significant manner, depending on the presence of at least one S or Lg allele (24.6 years) in respect to La homozygotes (27.5 years) (P = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that genetic factors contribute, together with gender and age, to the onset differences in alcohol-dependent phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy esterina.pascale@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Esterina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pascale
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giampiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferraguti
authors.affiliation: Centro Riferimento Alcologico Regione Lazio, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Codazzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Passarelli
authors.affiliation: Centro Nazionale Sostanze Chimiche, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mancinelli
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonvicini
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabina Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lucarelli
authors.affiliation: Centro Riferimento Alcologico Regione Lazio, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ceccanti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012737:Sex Factors; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins