title: Alcohol Consumption in Healthy OPRM1 G Allele Carriers and Its Association with Impulsive Behavior.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A link between alcohol use disorders (AUD) and impulsivity is well established. As there is evidence for the heritability of AUD, the investigation of the underlying genetic disposition for both conditions is an important issue. An association between AUD and a coding single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs1799971 encoding an Asn40Asp amino acid substitution, A118G) within the µ-opioid receptor 1 gene (OPRM1) has been reported. Therefore we tested the association between the OPRM1 A118G polymorphism and drinking as well as impulsive behavior in social drinkers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 214 healthy male social drinkers were recruited. Each participant was genotyped for the OPRM1 A118G variant. Alcohol use was assessed with items of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Impulsivity was assessed using the UPPS impulsive behavior scale. For statistical analyses, we considered correlations, t-tests and ordinal regression models using SPSS V21.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 49 out of 214 participants were carriers of the OPRM1 118G allele. On average the OPRM1 118G carriers showed a slightly higher propensity for alcohol drinking. Higher drinking frequency among the G allele carriers was linked with higher urgency and perseveration subscores of impulsivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest a genetically influenced higher propensity for alcohol drinking among social drinkers carrying the 118G allele of the OPRM1 gene. The positive correlation between urgency and a higher drinking frequency among the OPRM1 118G hint towards a functional meaning of the opioid system in the regulation of impulsivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, UntereZahlbacherStraße8, 55131 Mainz, Germany Philippe.Pfeifer@gef.be.ch.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pfeifer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathology, CharitéUniversitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sariyar
authors.affiliation: Institute for Human Genetics, RWTH Aachen University Medical Centre, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eggermann
authors.affiliation: Institute for Human Genetics, RWTH Aachen University Medical Centre, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zerres
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University Medical Center, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vernaleken
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, UntereZahlbacherStraße8, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tüscher
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, UntereZahlbacherStraße8, 55131 Mainz, Germany Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Agaplesion Markus Hospital, Wilhelm-Epstein-Straße 4, 60431 Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fehr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000235:genetics*; D000483:Alleles; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C485764:OPRM1 protein, human; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu