title: Genetic Vulnerability to Menthol Cigarette Preference in Women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Smokers may prefer menthol cigarettes to mask the bitter taste of nicotine. Variation in the taste receptor gene, TAS2R38, may contribute to preference for menthol cigarettes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether two common haplotypes of TAS2R38 (proline-alanine-valine [PAV] and alanine-valine-isoleucine [AVI]), which have been associated, respectively, with bitter taste or a lack of bitter taste produced by propylthiouracil, are associated with preference for menthol cigarettes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on smoking and blood for DNA extraction and genotyping were obtained from 323 pregnant non-Hispanic or Hispanic Caucasian smokers. We genotyped three TAS2R38 single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs713598, rs1726866, and rs10246939) and constructed haplotypes. We examined associations between menthol preference and the frequency and distribution of the AVI and PAV haplotypes among study participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants smoked an average of 16 cigarettes per day before pregnancy. The PAV and AVI haplotype frequencies were 48% and 45%, respectively. Non-Hispanic women were less likely than Hispanic women to smoke menthol cigarettes. As hypothesized, the frequency of the PAV haplotype was greater in menthol than non-menthol smokers in both non-Hispanics (54% vs. 30%; χ(2) = 13.04, P < .001) and Hispanics (53% vs. 25%; χ(2) = 5.77, P = .016). This effect persisted after controlling for potential confounders in multivariate logistic regression. Menthol smokers had a greater number of PAV haplotypes/individual than non-menthol smokers [non-Hispanics odds ratio (OR) = 3.02 (1.56-5.85); P = .001; Hispanics OR = 3.60 (1.23-10.56); P = .020].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary data support the hypothesis that a genetic propensity to experience heightened bitter taste perception increases the preference for menthol cigarettes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT; oncken@nso2.uchc.edu.
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oncken
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT;
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Feinn
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT;
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Covault
authors.affiliation: Department of Allied Health Sciences, Allied Health Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT;
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Duffy
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT; Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT;
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dornelas
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Philadelphia VAMC, Philadelphia, PA;
authors.forename: Henry R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kranzler
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA.
authors.forename: Heather Z
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Sankey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies / Q000379:methods; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008610:Menthol; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics; D012907:Smoking / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D013649:Taste / Q000235:genetics; D055697:Taste Perception / Q000235:genetics*; D062789:Tobacco Products; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics; D000098706:Taste Receptors, Type 2
chemical_list: D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D000098706:Taste Receptors, Type 2; D008610:Menthol
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