title: Association between -174 G/C polymorphism of interleukin-6 gene and alcoholism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  IL-6 plays the role as a physiological neuromodulator involved in dopaminergic, serotonergic and other neurotransmissions. The aim of the present association study was to examine the effect of the G/C -174 polymorphism of the IL-6 gene on disposition to alcoholism.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the relationship between the G/C -174 polymorphism of the IL-6 gene and alcohol dependence in 281 alcoholics and 242 control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The significant difference in G allele frequency between alcoholic group (0.52) and control group (0.59) was found (P < 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the first finding providing evidence for an association between alcoholism and the polymorphism of the IL-6 gene. The background of the relationship between the IL-6 gene and alcoholism is discussed.
authors.affiliation: 1Laboratory of Neurobiology and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Comparative Animal Physiology and General Zoology, Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, Brno.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Šerý
authors.affiliation: 1Laboratory of Neurobiology and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Comparative Animal Physiology and General Zoology, Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, Brno.
authors.forename: Renáta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hladilová
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Psychiatry, Charles University, 1st Medical Faculty, Praha.
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Novotný
authors.affiliation: 1Laboratory of Neurobiology and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Comparative Animal Physiology and General Zoology, Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, Brno.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hríbková
authors.affiliation: 3Department of Pathological Physiology, Masaryk University, Faculty of Medicine, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vladimír
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Znojil
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Psychiatry, Charles University, 1st Medical Faculty, Praha.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zvolský