Serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms in alcohol dependence

Alcohol. 2000 Oct;22(2):61-7. doi: 10.1016/s0741-8329(00)00105-1.

Abstract

The serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene is a candidate gene in alcohol dependence because serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) can alleviate alcohol withdrawal. Studies of the 5-HTT gene in alcohol dependence have not resulted in a consensus. Recent studies have examined the transcriptionally active promoter polymorphism, a 44-bp deletion resulting in short (S) or long (L) alleles. In this study, 131 alcohol-dependent patients of Northern and Western European descent were genotyped. Seventy of these patients were diagnosed with alcohol dependence without comorbid disorders. Sixty-one patients were diagnosed with alcohol dependence comorbid with Tourette syndrome (alcoholic-TS). We found an excess of the S allele in alcohol-dependent patients (47%) compared with 125 ethnically matched controls (39%). A similar trend was found in 150 ethnically matched TS patients without alcohol dependence comorbidity (51%). However, the statistical significance of this trend in the data was not present after Bonferroni correction. The data presented suggests a trend toward increased frequency of the S promoter allele in alcohol-dependent, alcoholic-TS and TS patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Alcoholism / complications
  • Alcoholism / genetics*
  • Alleles
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics*
  • Gene Frequency
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Linkage Disequilibrium
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Transport Proteins*
  • Middle Aged
  • Minisatellite Repeats / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Polymorphism, Genetic*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Tourette Syndrome / complications
  • Tourette Syndrome / genetics

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • SLC6A4 protein, human
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins