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Association of the serotonin transporter gene polymorphism with Korean male alcoholics.

Kweon YS, Lee HK, Lee CT, Lee KU, Pae CU

Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Uijongbu St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, 65-1, Geumo-Dong, Uijongbu city, Gyeonggi-do 480-130, Republic of Korea.

This study investigated the association between the serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and alcoholism in the Korean population. In addition, in order to reduce the clinical heterogeneity, sub-analysis was carried out according to some clinical variables such as a family history of alcoholism, aggressive/violent behavior and the age of onset of alcoholism. One hundred and forty-five patients meeting the DSM-VI criteria for alcohol dependence and 201 healthy controls were examined. Genotyping was performed using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method. The frequency of the L-allele of 5-HTTLPR was significantly higher in the alcohol dependent patients than in the normal controls (chi(2)=19.11, df=1, p<0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the allelic distribution between the subgroups defined by a family history of alcoholism (chi(2)=4.005, df=1, p=0.045). This study suggests a putative role of the 5-HTTLPR for alcoholism in the Korean population. However, a replication study with larger different ethnic samples and a refinement of the subtype of alcoholism is needed.

Published 4 April 2005 in J Psychiatr Res, 39(4): 371-6.
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