Association between oxytocin and receptor genetic polymorphisms and aggression in a northern Chinese Han population with alcohol dependence.
Alcohol dependence (AD) is a common chronic brain disorder precipitated by complex interactions between biological, genetic, and environmental risk factors. Aggression often occurs in the context of AD. Previous studies have shown that Oxytocin (OXT) and OXT receptor (OXTR) are involved in the regulation of aggression. The present study investigated whether variations and interactions of OXT and OXTR genes were associated with AD-related aggression in a genetically homogeneous northern Chinese Han population.



Three hundred and twenty-four male AD patients and 510 male healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. A Chinese version of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire was used as a subjective measurement of aggressive behavior. Three variations, rs2254298, rs53576, and rs6133010 were genotyped using TaqMan and ligase detection reaction for all subjects. Generalized Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction was used to detect interactions between genetic attributes and environmental attributes.



The frequencies of alleles and genotypes of rs6133010 were significantly different between AD patients and HCs (p<0.001). In HCs, the effect of genotype GG of rs53576 on hostility aggression was significantly stronger than that of genotype AA and AG (p=0.001 and p=0.004, respectively), and the subjects with the interaction combination of rs6133010AA×rs2254298GG×rs53576AG exhibited significant effect on physical aggression (p=0.0107).



The present study found that rs6133010 in the OXT gene is associated with AD in the northern Chinese Han population. The polymorphisms of OXT/R may play a key role in the susceptibility of AD-related aggression.
Beijing Hui-Long-Guan Hospital, Beijing, China; Inner Mongolia Medical University, Huhhot, China.
Ling
L
Yang
Beijing Hui-Long-Guan Hospital, Beijing, China.
Fan
F
Wang
Inner Mongolia Medical University, Huhhot, China.
Meiling
M
Wang
School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), Nothfield Avenue, NSW2522, Australia.
Mei
M
Han
The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Lufeng
L
Hu
The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Minghua
M
Zheng
Department of endocrinology, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Xiangyang, China.
Ji
J
Ma
Inner Mongolia Medical University, Huhhot, China.
Yimin
Y
Kang
Inner Mongolia Medical University, Huhhot, China.
Pengxiang
P
Wang
Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
Hongqiang
H
Sun
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; Ningbo Fourth Hospital, Xiangshan, China.
Wei
W
Zuo
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China; Ningbo Fourth Hospital, Xiangshan, China.
Longteng
L
Xie
Ningbo Fourth Hospital, Xiangshan, China.
Aiju
A
Wang
Inner Mongolia Region Mental Health Center, Huhhot, China. Electronic address: dsdsabc8@sina.com.
Dongsheng
D
Yu
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China. Electronic address: benjaminlyl@wmu.edu.cn.
Yanlong
Y
Liu
D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics*; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin / Q000235:genetics*
D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin; D010121:Oxytocin
Aggression; Alcohol dependence; Interaction; Oxytocin; Polymorphism