BACKGROUND: The dopamine transporter (DAT) plays a key role in homeostatic regulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission and could thus be involved in the variability of two severe alcohol-withdrawal symptoms, alcohol-withdrawal seizure (AWS) and delirium tremens (DT). Interestingly, an association was found between the DAT gene (9-copy repeat) and the risk for these symptoms in two previous case-control studies. METHODS: We reanalyzed the role of the DAT gene in the lifetime risk for AWS and DT in 120 alcohol-dependent patients, taking into account potentially confounding factors. RESULTS: Alcohol-dependent patients with the A(9) allele had experienced AWS or DT at least once (odds ratio [OR] = 2.52, p =.03). This association persisted when excluding patients with antisocial personality comorbidity (OR = 3.48, p =.02) or limiting the analysis to older patients (OR = 8.3, p =.0008). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides convergent data in favor of a significant role of the DAT gene in the risk for some severe withdrawal symptoms. If further replicated in larger samples, the DAT genetic polymorphism could be one of the factors to be analyzed to further assess the risk of some severe alcohol-withdrawal symptoms.
BACKGROUND: The dopamine transporter (DAT) plays a key role in homeostatic regulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission and could thus be involved in the variability of two severe alcohol-withdrawal symptoms, alcohol-withdrawal seizure (AWS) and delirium tremens (DT). Interestingly, an association was found between the DAT gene (9-copy repeat) and the risk for these symptoms in two previous case-control studies. METHODS: We reanalyzed the role of the DAT gene in the lifetime risk for AWS and DT in 120 alcohol-dependent patients, taking into account potentially confounding factors. RESULTS:Alcohol-dependent patients with the A(9) allele had experienced AWS or DT at least once (odds ratio [OR] = 2.52, p =.03). This association persisted when excluding patients with antisocial personality comorbidity (OR = 3.48, p =.02) or limiting the analysis to older patients (OR = 8.3, p =.0008). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides convergent data in favor of a significant role of the DAT gene in the risk for some severe withdrawal symptoms. If further replicated in larger samples, the DAT genetic polymorphism could be one of the factors to be analyzed to further assess the risk of some severe alcohol-withdrawal symptoms.
Authors: Christine Muench; Corinde E Wiers; Carlos R Cortes; Reza Momenan; Falk W Lohoff Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2017-11-27 Impact factor: 3.455
Authors: Michael E Talkowski; Kathleen L McCann; Michael Chen; Lora McClain; Mikhil Bamne; Joel Wood; Kodavali V Chowdari; Annie Watson; Konasale M Prasad; George Kirov; Lyudmilla Georgieva; Draga Toncheva; Hader Mansour; David A Lewis; Michael Owen; Michael O'Donovan; Panagiotis Papasaikas; Patrick Sullivan; Douglas Ruderfer; Jeffrey K Yao; Sherry Leonard; Pramod Thomas; Fabio Miyajima; John Quinn; A Javier Lopez; Vishwajit L Nimgaonkar Journal: Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet Date: 2010-10-18 Impact factor: 3.568