Association between VNTR polymorphism in promoter region of prodynorphin (PDYN) gene and heroin dependence

Within the core promoter region of prodynorphin (PDYN), a 68-bp sequence was found to occur as a polymorphism element, either singular or as tandemly repeated two, three or four times. We report the sequence of a novel allele (5-repeats). Our study revealed the existence of an ancestral nucleotide (A) at 29th position of the VNTR in human. In total, 442 heroin addicts and 799 controls were included in this study. The present findings revealed a male-limited association between VNTR polymorphism and heroin dependence risk.     

CTLA4 exon 1 and promoter polymorphisms in patients with multiple sclerosis

Objective – The polymorphisms of exon 1 (+49 A/G) and promoter regions (?1722 T/C, ?1661 A/G and ?318 C/T)of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) and also haplotypes constructed from mentioned loci were investigated amongst 153 Iranian patients with definite multiple sclerosis (MS) and 190 healthy controls. Methods – The polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphisms and PCR‐amplification refractory mutation system. The 4‐locus haplotypes were estimated by Arlequin software (University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland). Results – Preliminary results showed significant increase of +49 G allele and ?1661 AG genotype, as well as TGCA haplotype among patients than controls (P < 0.036, P = 0.009 and P < 0.010, respectively). The distribution of ?1722 T/C, ?1661 A/G, ?318 C/T and +49 A/G (TACA) haplotype, from the contrary, was observed to be significantly increased among controls (P < 0.001). Conclusions – After Bonferroni correction, the results provide preliminary evidence that CTLA4 genetic variation at ?1661 locus may render Iranian individuals to be more susceptible to MS, whereas harboring TACA haplotype might be protective.     

代谢型谷氨酸受体3基因多态性与酒依赖的关联研究

目的探讨中国北方汉族人群代谢型谷氨酸受体3(GRM3)基因多态性与酒依赖的相关性。方法采用聚合酶链反应(Polymerase Chain Reaction,PCR)和连接酶检测反应(Ligase Detection Reaction,LDR)方法,检测100例酒依赖患者和100例正常对照的GRM3基因上3个位点rs1468412、rs917071和rs1989796的基因多态性。结果酒依赖组和对照组之间GRM3基因rs1468412、rs917071以及rs1989796位点的等位基因频率和基因型分布的差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05),但酒依赖组中rs1468412、rs917071和rs19897963个位点所构建的单倍型TTT的频率明显高于对照组(6%vs.1%,OR=5.17,P<0.05),TTT基因型携带者患酒依赖的可能性较高。结论在本样本中,中国北方汉族人群GRM3基因rs1468412、rs917071和rs1989796位点的多态性单独存在时与酒依赖无关联,而由此3个位点所构建的单倍型TTT可能为酒依赖的易感危险因素。     

Association of DRD4 exon III polymorphism with auditory P300 amplitude in 8-year-old children

Summary. Objectives: The present study was designed to investigate the association between the DRD4 genotype and auditory P300 amplitudes in a high-risk community sample. Methods: ERPs were elicited in 197 eight-year-olds (98 boys, 99 girls) using a passive and an active oddball task. Auditory stimuli of 60 dB HL were presented binaurally at 1000 (standard stimulus) and 2000 Hz (target stimulus), at a relative frequency ratio of 80:20. Two trial blocks of 250 stimuli each were collected. P300 amplitudes were analyzed from Fz, Cz and Pz. DNA was genotyped for the DRD4 exon III polymorphism. Results: A pattern of significant interactions of the DRD4 genotype with gender and experimental conditions was obtained. In both the active and the passive task, boys with at least one copy of the DRD4 7-repeat allele displayed significantly lower P300 amplitudes during the second trial block than boys carrying other alleles. Conclusions: This finding provides further evidence supporting a role of P300 amplitude reduction as an endophenotype for disinhibited psychopathology.     

Dopamine D2 (DAD2) and dopamine D3 (DAD3) receptor gene polymorphisms and treatment outcome in alcohol dependence

Summary. The dopaminergic system is critically involved in reward mechanisms mediating the reinforcing effects of alcohol. The intention of this study was to investigate the genotypic frequencies of the −141C Ins/Del polymorphism of the DAD2 receptor gene as well as the Bal I polymorphism of the DAD3 receptor and their potential association with treatment outcome in alcoholism. Therefore, individuals suffering from primary alcohol dependence were clinically and genetically characterized and followed prospectively over a period of one year after inpatient treatment. No association was found between DAD2 or DAD3 receptor gene variants and treatment outcome as reflected by abstinence/relapse after one year. Taking into account potential stratification effects, such as family history, gender, age of onset, or severity of the disease an association with DAD2 or DAD3 gene variants could neither be found. In conclusion, we found no evidence that the DAD2 or DAD3 gene variants investigated have a major influence on treatment outcome in primary alcohol dependence. Received June 2002; accepted February 3, 2003 Published online April 22, 2003 RID="*" ID="*"  This paper is dedicated to Prof. Peter Riederer who celebrated his 60^th birthday in March 2002 Authors' address: PD Dr. G. A. Wiesbeck, Addiction Research Group, Psychiatric Clinic, University of Würzburg, Füchsleinstrasse 15, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany, e-mail: wiesbeck_g@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de     

Association study of the dopamine and serotonin transporter genetic polymorphisms and methamphetamine abuse in Chinese males

Summary. The dopamine transporter (DAT) and the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) play important roles in methamphetamine (METH) dependence because they are the target of METH action. For this study, the association between the DAT and 5-HTT polymorphisms and METH dependence were investigated for a Chinese-male sample population. The investigated polymorphisms included those of the DAT 3′-variable number tandem repeat, the 5-HTT gene promoter and a 5-HTT variable number tandem repeat polymorphisms. No significant difference was demonstrated for genotype or allele frequency, when comparing METH dependent and control cases for the DAT and the 5-HTT polymorphisms. The findings of this study suggest that these polymorphisms do not play major roles in METH dependence in the Chinese-male population. Received January 8, 2002; accepted October 2, 2002 Published online December 9, 2002 RID="*" ID="*"  The experiments in this study were performed in the Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, ROC Acknowledgements This work was supported by Grant DOH89-TD-1095, provided by the Department of Health, Taiwan, ROC, and Grant VGH89-398-15, provided by the Veterans General Hospital-Taipei. The authors wish to thank Mr. C.-T. Feng, T.-H. Liu and the staff at the Taiwan Taipei Detention Center for their assistance with sample collection, and Ms S.-C. Chiang for her assistance in statistical analysis. Authors' address: Dr. C.-J. Hong, Department of Psychiatry, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, No. 201 Shih-Pai Road, Sec. 2, 11217, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China, e-mail: cjhong@vghtpe.gov.tw     

Polymorphisms of interleukin-4 promoter and receptor gene for schizophrenia in the Korean population

The purpose of the present paper was to investigate the interleukin (IL)-4 promoter gene -590 and receptor alpha (Ralpha) gene 1902 polymorphism in Korean schizophrenic patients. A total of 222 Korean patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn; DSM-IV) and 165 normal healthy controls participated in the present study. The DNA was extracted from whole blood using proteinase K, and the IL-4 promoter and receptor gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction. The genotype was determined using single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. The distribution of the alleles and genotypes in patients with schizophrenia was not significantly different from those of controls. In conclusion, these results suggest that the polymorphisms in IL-4 promoter gene -590 and IL-4 Ralpha gene 1902 are not involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia in the Korean population.     

DRD3 Ser9Gly variant is not associated with essential tremor in a series of Italian patients

Background: Essential tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder worldwide. Three susceptibility loci on chromosomes 3q13, 2p24.1, and 6p23 have been reported, but no causative genes were found. The Ser9Gly variant of dopamine D3 receptor (DRD3) receptor was found associated to ET in a French and US population. Methods: A case–control study to evaluate the association between the Ser9Gly variant and ET was performed in a cohort of 116 Italian patients with familial ET and in 158 normal controls. Results: No significant difference in allele and genotype frequencies was found between the two groups. Conclusions: These results do not support an association between DRD3 Ser9Gly and susceptibility to ET in Italian patients.     

Possible interaction between MAOA and DRD2 genes associated with antisocial alcoholism among Han Chinese men in Taiwan

Both monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) and dopamine D(2) receptor (DRD2) genes have been considered as candidate genes for antisocial personality disorder with alcoholism (Antisocial ALC) [Parsian, A., 1999. Sequence analysis of exon 8 of MAO-A gene in alcoholics with antisocial personality and normal controls. Genomics. 45, 290-295.; Samochowiec, J., Lesch, K.P., Rottmann, M., Smolka, M., Syagailo, Y.V., Okladnova, O., Rommelspacher, H., Winterer, G., Schmidt, L.G., Sander, T., 1999. Association of a regulatory polymorphism in the promoter region of the monoamine oxidase A gene with antisocial alcoholism. Psychiatry. Res. 86, 67-72.; Schmidt, L.vG., Sander, T., Kuhn, S., Smolka, M., Rommelspacher, H., Samochowiec, J., Lesch, K.P., 2000. Different allele distribution of a regulatory MAO-A gene promotor polymorphism in antisocial and anxious-depressive alcoholics. J. Neural .Transm. 107, 681-689.]. However, the association between alcoholism and MAOA or DRD2 gene has not been universally accepted [Lee, J.F., Lu, R.B., Ko, H.C., Chang, F.M., Yin, S.J., Pakstis, A.J., Kidd, K.K., 1999. No association between DRD(2) locus and alcoholism after controlling the ADH and ALDH genotypes in Chinese Han population. Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 23, 592-599.; Lu, R.B., Lin, W.W., Lee, J.F., Ko, H.C., Shih, J.C., 2003. Neither antisocial personality disorder nor antisocial alcoholism association with MAOA gene among Han Chinese males in Taiwan. Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 27, 889-893.]. Since dopamine is metabolized to 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-acetaldehyde (DOPAL) via monoamine oxidase (MAO) [Westerink, B.H., de Vries, J.B., 1985. On the origin of dopamine and its metabolite in predominantly noradrenergic innervated brain areas. Brain. Res. 330, 164-166.], the interaction between MAOA and DRD2 genes might be related to Antisocial ALC. The present study aimed to determine whether Antisocial ALC might be associated with the possible interactions of DRD2 gene with MAOA gene. Of the 231 Han Chinese subjects who were recruited for the study, 73 participants were diagnosed with Antisocial ALC and 158 subjects were diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder without alcoholism (Antisocial Non-ALC). The DRD2 TaqI A and MAOA-uVNTR (variable number of tandem repeat located upstream) polymorphisms were not found to be associated with Antisocial ALC. However, an association between DRD2 TaqI A polymorphisms and Antisocial ALC was shown only after stratification for the MAOA-uVNTR 4-repeat polymorphism. Additionally, after multiple logistic regressions, we found that, under stratification of MAOA-uVNTR 4-repeat polymorphism and in comparison with the DRD2 A1/A1 genotype as a reference group, the DRD2 A1/A2 genotype has a possible protective effect against alcoholism in individuals with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). We concluded that the possible interactions between MAOA-uVNTR polymorphism and DRD2 TaqI A polymorphism might be related to Antisocial ALC among Han Chinese men in Taiwan.     

Association study of 5'-UTR polymorphisms of the human dopamine transporter gene with manic depression

Objectives:  To determine the degree of association of five single nucleotide polymorphisms at the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) of the human dopamine transporter gene (hSLC6A3; hDAT1) in bipolar affective disorder.
Methods:  In a case–control design study, the polymorphisms were genotyped for allelic and genotypic distribution between 105 index cases (50 males) with bipolar affective disorder according to DSM IV and 199 unaffected control subjects (120 males).
Results:  At the 5'-UTR locus of hSLC6A3, no significant allelic or genotypic differences were observed between index cases and controls. However, distinct 5-locus genotypes accumulated in subjects with bipolar affective disorder compared to control subjects (p = 0.029, odds ratio 1.84, 95% confidence interval 1.12–3.02).
Conclusions:  In conclusion, our data do not provide evidence for a major role of the 5'-UTR of the dopamine transporter gene in bipolar affective disorder. A minor contribution of distinct genotypes may be possible and warrants replication in extended samples.     

Association between DRD4 gene and performance of children with ADHD in a test of sustained attention.

BACKGROUND: The adoption of neuropsychological tests as endophenotypic measures can provide an increased sensitivity to specific dimensions of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: The association between a variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism at the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) and the performance of children and adolescents with ADHD in a continuous performance test (CPT) was evaluated. The sample comprised 90 clinically referred children and adolescents with ADHD. Errors of omission and commission in the CPT were computed and the number of 48-base pairs tandem repeats in the exon III of DRD4 was assessed. RESULTS: The presence of a 7-repeat allele was associated with more errors of commission and the homozygosity of the 4-repeat allele was related to fewer errors of commission and omission even after adjusting for age. CONCLUSIONS: These findings bring further evidence on the role of DRD4 polymorphisms on the performance in sustained attention tasks among children and adolescents with ADHD diagnosis.     

多巴胺D2，D3受体基因多态性与原发性震颤遗传易患性的相关研究

原发性震颤 (ET)是一种其病因与多种因素相关、较常见的运动障碍性疾病 ,遗传因素是病因之一。研究证实ET与帕金森病 (PD)是相关联的疾病 ,二者的震颤发生机制类似 ,均与中枢多巴胺能神经系统功能失调相关。为探讨多巴胺D2 ,D3受体基因多态与ET遗传易患的相关性 ,采用聚合酶链反应 限制性片段长度多态性(PCR RFLP)技术 ,首次检测 80例无血缘相关的ET患者与 10 0例正常对照DRD2基因TaqⅠ ,DRD3基因MspⅠ位点突变 ,比较ET与正常人之间的多态性频率的差异。DRD2基因TaqⅠ位点及DRD3基因MspⅠ位点等位基因的基因型、基因频率分布在ET与正常对照无显著差异。DRD2基因TaqⅠ与DRD3基因MspⅠ位点多态性可能与ET的遗传易患性无关。     

Association study of EP1 gene polymorphisms with suicide completers in the Japanese population

Background

Both environmental and genetic factors have been reported to be involved in suicidal behaviors. Considerable evidence indicates that impulsive aggression is one of the important risk factors that contribute to suicide. A recent study has shown that prostaglandin E2 type 1 receptor (EP1) signaling regulates impulsive-aggressive behaviors in mice under both social and environmental stresses. To test the possible involvement of the EP1 gene in suicide, we carried out an association study of EP1 gene polymorphisms with suicide completers in the Japanese population.

Methods

We studied 5 SNPs including one SNP in exon 2 (rs3745459) and four SNPs in the potential promoter region of the EP1 gene (rs3810255, rs3810254, rs3810253 and rs10416814) in 374 healthy control and 287 completed suicide victims using standard Taqman probe genotyping assays.

Results

No significant differences of the genotypic distribution, allelic frequency or haplotype distribution between controls and suicide completers were found. Gender based analysis revealed that genotypic, allelic and haplotypic distributions of rs3810255, rs3810254, rs3810253 and rs10416814 SNPs were significantly different between the female control and female suicide groups, although the differences did not withstand correction for multiple comparisons.

Conclusion

We could not find an association of EP1 gene with suicide in the Japanese population. Because several SNPs in the promoter region of the EP1 gene were nominally significantly associated with suicide in the female, further studies with a larger sample size and different population are needed to confirm this result.     

Epistatic interactions involving DRD2, DRD4, and COMT polymorphisms and risk of substance abuse in women with binge-purge eating disturbances

Substance abuse is common in individuals with bulimia-spectrum (binge-purge) eating disturbances, a co-occurrence that has been attributed to shared neurobiological substrates--notably alterations in dopaminergic activity. We examined the implications of variations of selected, dopamine-relevant polymorphisms (DRD2 Taq1A, DRD4 7R, and COMT) for risk of substance abuse in women with binge-purge eating syndromes. We genotyped 183 women (66.1% showing full-threshold BN and 33.9% showing sub-syndromic variants), and assessed lifetime presence of alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, and stimulant abuse or dependence using structured interviews. Tests for main and interaction effects of various allele combinations revealed that individuals who carried high function COMT and low-function DRD4 7R alleles (a combination expected to be associated with higher risk) did indeed show more lifetime substance abuse and, specifically, more cannabis abuse. Our findings suggest that a gene combination that, in theory, codes for low levels of dopaminergic neurotransmission coincides with sensitivity to substance abuse in a sample displaying binge-purge eating-disorder variants.     

Association of the Ser9Gly polymorphism in the dopamine D3 receptor gene with tardive dyskinesia in Korean schizophrenics

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is usually regarded as one of the most serious side-effects of the long-term usage of neuroleptics due to its high prevalence and potentially irreversible nature. Previously, several genetic polymorphisms were investigated for an association with TD in various ethnic populations. Among them, the Ser9Gly variant in the MscI restriction site of the dopamine D3 receptor gene was reported to be associated with TD. We have investigated the association of Ser9Gly polymorphism of the dopamine D3 receptor gene with TD in Korean schizophrenics. The frequencies of the genotypes of Ser/Ser, Ser/Gly and Gly/Gly in 54 schizophrenic patients without TD were 21 (38.9%), 33 (61.1%) and 0 (0%), while the corresponding frequencies in 59 schizophrenic patients with TD were 25 (42.4%), 28 (47.5%) and 6 (10.1%). We have found a significant genotypic association of the Gly/Gly genotype with TD in Korean schizophrenics (P = 0.028, two-tailed Fisher's exact test). However, there was no significant allelic association of the Ser9Gly allele with TD (chi2 = 0.288, d.f. = 1, P = 0.591) and there was no significant difference in the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale score between the three genotypic groups (P = 0.071, anova). In conclusion, we suggest that Gly/Gly homozygotes in the MscI polymorphic site of the dopamine D3 receptor gene may cause some change in the function of the dopamine D3 receptor and may be involved the pathogenesis of TD.     

Differential role of serotonergic polymorphisms in alcohol and heroin dependence

Background

Twin studies suggest that genetic factors account for 40–60% of the variance in alcohol dependence. It has been stated that different drug dependencies may have unique genetic influences. Alterations in serotonin availability and function can affect drinking behaviour. This study aimed to investigate whether three serotonergic polymorphisms (HTR2A A-1438G (rs6311), and SCL6A4 5-HTTLPR and STin2 VNTR) were associated with alcohol dependence, and, whether the serotonergic polymorphisms played a similar role in conferring vulnerability in alcohol and heroin dependence.

Methods

165 alcohol dependent patients, 113 heroin dependent patients, and 420 healthy controls from a homogeneous Spanish Caucasian population were genotyped using standard methods.

Results

Genotypic frequencies of the A-1438G, 5-HTTLPR, and STin2 VNTR polymorphisms did not differ significantly across the three groups. None of the three polymorphisms contributed to distinguishing alcoholic patients from healthy controls. There was an excess of −1438G and 5-HTTLPR L carriers in alcoholic patients in comparison to the heroin dependent group (OR (95% CI) = 1.98 (1.13–3.45) and 1.92 (1.07–3.44), respectively). The A-1438G and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms also interacted in distinguishing alcohol from heroin dependent patients (Wald (df) = 10.21 (4), p = 0.037). The association of −1438A/G with alcohol dependence was especially pronounced in the presence of 5-HTTLPR S/S, less evident with 5-HTTLPR L/S and not present with 5-HTTLPR L/L. SCL6A4 polymorphism haplotypes were similarly distributed in all three groups.

Conclusions

Our data do not support a role of serotonergic polymorphisms in alcohol dependence but suggest a differential genetic background to alcohol and heroin dependence.     

粤西汉族人群血浆谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶基因启动子区-723C/T基因多态性与脑梗死的关系

目的 研究粤西汉族人群谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GPX-3)基因启动子区-723C/T基因多态性的分布及其与脑梗死的关系. 方法 检测佛广东医学院附属医院神经科自2007年2月至2008年2月收治的粤西地区汉族脑梗死患者102例(病例组)和同期粤西地区汉族健康体检者101例(对照组)的GPX-3基因启动子区-723C/T基因多态性,比较2组的一般资料、卒中危险因素及-723C/T基因多态性的分布特点,多元Logistic回归分析影响脑梗死发生的危险因素,并对筛选出的危险因素进行分层分析. 结果 与对照组比较,病例组高血压、糖尿病病史比例,血糖水平,-723C/T CC基因型频率及C等位基因频率均较高,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05);多元Logistic回归分析显示-723C/T基因型、高血压病史、糖尿病史是脑梗死发生的独立危险因素;与没有任何危险因素亦不携带风险基因型者比较,有危险因素又携带CC基因型者脑梗死发病风险明显增加,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05). 结论 中国粤西地区汉族人群GPX -3基因启动子区-723C/T位点存在多态性,C等位基因是脑梗死的危险因素,CC基因型为脑梗死的易感基因型,也是独立危险因素.     

Association of dopamine D4 receptor (<Emphasis Type="Italic">DRD4</Emphasis>) exon III repeat polymorphism with temperament in 3-year-old infants

The long forms of the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) exon III repeat polymorphism (L-DRD4) have been linked in some studies to the adult personality trait of novelty seeking (NS), as well as to infant personality traits related to interest and activity. The current investigation extends the results of our previous longitudinal study on 1- to 5-month-old neonates assessed by the Early and Revised Infancy Temperament Questionnaire (EITQ/RITQ), in which we found a significant correlation between the DRD4 polymorphism and the adaptability trait at 1 month of age. In this study, we examined the relationship between children′s behavior at 3 years of age, measured with the Toddler Temperament Scale (TTS), and DRD4 exon III repeat polymorphism. We found a significant association between the behavioral dimension of intensity of reaction and DRD4 genotypes. Current data failed to confirm the association with the adaptability trait. None of the extraversion and/or exploratory behavior measures was related to the L-DRD4 allele, as expected. In contrast, children with 4/7 genotypes showed worse response to new stimuli compared with 4/4 genotypes. This study corroborates only in part previous results on the link between the DRD4 gene and human temperament.     

The interleukin 10 promoter haplotype ACA and the long-form variant of the DRD4 uVNTR polymorphism are associated with vulnerability to schizophrenia

A total of 934 patients with schizophrenia and 433 controls were genotyped for the interleukin-10 (IL-10) promoter and DRD4 uVNTR polymorphisms. DRD4 long-form variants (namely, those with ≥ 5 repeats), homozygosity for the 4-repeat allele, and the IL-10 haplotype ACA were associated with schizophrenia, respectively. No obvious interactions among the potential polymorphisms were found, which suggests that IL-10 and DRD4 confer vulnerability to schizophrenia independently.