title: Comparison of Quantitative and Qualitative Dermatoglyphic Characteristics of Opium Addicts with Healthy Individuals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recreational drugs have a significant impact on the lives of drug users, their close families andfriends, as well as their society. Social, psychological, biological, and genetic factors could make a personmore prone to using recreational drugs. Finger and A-B ridges (dermatoglyphics) are formed during the firstand second trimesters of fetal development, under the influence of environmental and genetic factors. Theaim of our study was to investigate and evaluate a possible link between dermatoglyphics and opium usage.
  
  
  METHODS
  The pattern of dermatoglyphics - finger and A-B prints - obtained from a group of opium users(121 patients) was compared to those obtained from a group of opium non-users (121 patients) from Birjand,Iran. The results were analyzed using chi-square, t and Mann-Whitney tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that although A-B ridges of palms and fingers in our study group were highercompared to the control group, there was no significant difference between these groups. The only significantdifference was the fingerprint patterns of the left ring finger in the study group, which lacked the arch patternand had less loop patterns. The dominant type of fingerprint in the left ring finger was the whorl. In ouropium user group, the arch and loop fingerprint patterns were heterogeneous and significantly different incomparison with the control group (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that a genetic factor may increase the predisposition to recreational drugusage. Further research is required to confirm this possible impact of genetic factors on the addiction process.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Atherosclerosis and Coronary Artery Research Center AND Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
authors.forename: Omid
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mehrpour
authors.affiliation: Professor, Toxicology and Poisoning Research Centre AND Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ardeshir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sheikhazadi
authors.affiliation: General Practitioner, Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
authors.forename: Afsoon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barzegar
authors.affiliation: General Practitioner, Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
authors.forename: Afzal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Husein
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Children Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Malic
authors.affiliation: Researcher, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sheikhazadi
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Health Services Management, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Hossein
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Saberi-Anary
keywords: A-B ridge count; Addiction; Dermatoglyphics; Finger ridge count; Genetics; Opioids; Opium