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Salles J, Eddiry S, Amri S, Galindo M, Lacassagne E, George S, Mialhe X, Lhuillier É, Franchitto N, Jeanneteau F, Gennero I, Salles JP, Tauber M. Differential DNA methylation in iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons: a step forward on the role of SNORD116 microdeletion in the pathophysiology of addictive behavior in Prader-Willi syndrome. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02542-4. [PMID: 38561465 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02542-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A microdeletion including the SNORD116 gene (SNORD116 MD) has been shown to drive the Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) features. PWS is a neurodevelopmental disorder clinically characterized by endocrine impairment, intellectual disability and psychiatric symptoms such as a lack of emotional regulation, impulsivity, and intense temper tantrums with outbursts. In addition, this syndrome is associated with a nutritional trajectory characterized by addiction-like behavior around food in adulthood. PWS is related to the genetic loss of expression of a minimal region that plays a potential role in epigenetic regulation. Nevertheless, the role of the SNORD116 MD in DNA methylation, as well as the impact of the oxytocin (OXT) on it, have never been investigated in human neurons. METHODS We studied the methylation marks in induced pluripotent stem-derived dopaminergic neurons carrying a SNORD116 MD in comparison with those from an age-matched adult healthy control. We also performed identical neuron differentiation in the presence of OXT. We performed a genome-wide DNA methylation analysis from the iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons by reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing. In addition, we performed RNA sequencing analysis in these iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons differentiated with or without OXT. RESULTS The analysis revealed that 153,826 cytosines were differentially methylated between SNORD116 MD neurons and control neurons. Among the differentially methylated genes, we determined a list of genes also differentially expressed. Enrichment analysis of this list encompassed the dopaminergic system with COMT and SLC6A3. COMT displayed hypermethylation and under-expression in SNORD116 MD, and SLC6A3 displayed hypomethylation and over-expression in SNORD116 MD. RT-qPCR confirmed significant over-expression of SLC6A3 in SNORD116 MD neurons. Moreover, the expression of this gene was significantly decreased in the case of OXT adjunction during the differentiation. CONCLUSION SNORD116 MD dopaminergic neurons displayed differential methylation and expression in the COMT and SLC6A3 genes, which are related to dopaminergic clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Salles
- Service de psychiatrie d'urgences, de crise et de liaison; Institut des Handicaps Neurologiques, Psychiatriques et Sensoriels, CHU de Toulouse; Infinity Center, Inserm CNRS UMR1291, University of Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
| | - Sanaa Eddiry
- Endocrine, Bone Diseases and Genetics Unit, Reference Centre for Rare Diseases of Calcium and Phosphate Metabolism, ERN BOND, OSCAR Network, Paediatric Research Unit, Children's Hospital, University Hospital; Infinity Center, Inserm CNRS UMR1291, University of Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Saber Amri
- Infinity Center, Inserm CNRS UMR1291, University of Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Mélissa Galindo
- Infinity Center, Inserm CNRS UMR1291, University of Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Emmanuelle Lacassagne
- Infinity Center, Inserm CNRS UMR1291, University of Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Simon George
- MGX-Montpellier GenomiX, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier, France
| | - Xavier Mialhe
- MGX-Montpellier GenomiX, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier, France
| | - Émeline Lhuillier
- I2MC - Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, Inserm, University of Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier; GeT-Santé, Plateforme Génome et Transcriptome, GenoToul, Toulouse, France
| | - Nicolas Franchitto
- Service d'Addictologie Clinique, Urgences Réanimation Médecine, CHU de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Freddy Jeanneteau
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle, University of Montpellier, Inserm, CNRS, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Isabelle Gennero
- Infinity Center, Inserm CNRS UMR1291, University of Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier; Laboratoire de Biochimie - Biologie moléculaire IFB Center CHU Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Salles
- Endocrine, Bone Diseases and Genetics Unit, Reference Centre for Rare Diseases of Calcium and Phosphate Metabolism, ERN BOND, OSCAR Network, Paediatric Research Unit, Children's Hospital, University Hospital; Infinity Center, Inserm CNRS UMR1291, University of Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Maithé Tauber
- Centre de Référence National du Syndrome de Prader-Willi et Syndromes avec Troubles du Comportement Alimentaire, Unité d'Endocrinologie, Hôpital des Enfants, Institut des Handicaps Neurologiques, Psychiatriques et Sensoriels, CHU de Toulouse; Infinity Center, Inserm CNRS UMR1291, University of Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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Lai D, Schwantes-An TH, Abreu M, Chan G, Hesselbrock V, Kamarajan C, Liu Y, Meyers JL, Nurnberger JI, Plawecki MH, Wetherill L, Schuckit M, Zhang P, Edenberg HJ, Porjesz B, Agrawal A, Foroud T. Gene-based polygenic risk scores analysis of alcohol use disorder in African Americans. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:266. [PMID: 35790736 PMCID: PMC9256707 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02029-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in admixed populations such as African Americans (AA) have limited sample sizes, resulting in poor performance of polygenic risk scores (PRS). Based on the observations that many disease-causing genes are shared between AA and European ancestry (EA) populations, and some disease-causing variants are located within the boundaries of these genes, we proposed a novel gene-based PRS framework (PRSgene) by using variants located within disease-associated genes. Using the AA GWAS of alcohol use disorder (AUD) from the Million Veteran Program and the EA GWAS of problematic alcohol use as the discovery GWAS, we identified 858 variants from 410 genes that were AUD-related in both AA and EA. PRSgene calculated using these variants were significantly associated with AUD in three AA target datasets (P-values ranged from 7.61E-05 to 6.27E-03; Betas ranged from 0.15 to 0.21) and outperformed PRS calculated using all variants (P-values ranged from 7.28E-03 to 0.16; Betas ranged from 0.06 to 0.18). PRSgene were also associated with AUD in an EA target dataset (P-value = 0.02, Beta = 0.11). In AA, individuals in the highest PRSgene decile had an odds ratio of 1.76 (95% CI: 1.32-2.34) to develop AUD compared to those in the lowest decile. The 410 genes were enriched in 54 Gene Ontology biological processes, including ethanol oxidation and processes involving the synaptic system, which are known to be AUD-related. In addition, 26 genes were targets of drugs used to treat AUD or other diseases that might be considered for repurposing to treat AUD. Our study demonstrated that the gene-based PRS had improved performance in evaluating AUD risk in AA and provided new insight into AUD genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongbing Lai
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| | - Tae-Hwi Schwantes-An
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Marco Abreu
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Grace Chan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Victor Hesselbrock
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Chella Kamarajan
- Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Lab, Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Yunlong Liu
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jacquelyn L Meyers
- Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Lab, Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - John I Nurnberger
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Martin H Plawecki
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Leah Wetherill
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Marc Schuckit
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego Medical School, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Pengyue Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Howard J Edenberg
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Bernice Porjesz
- Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Lab, Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Arpana Agrawal
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tatiana Foroud
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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Corongiu S, Dessì C, Espa E, Pisanu A, Pinna A, Lecca D, Fenu S, Cadoni C. Influence of Age and Genetic Background on Ethanol Intake and Behavioral Response Following Ethanol Consumption and During Abstinence in a Model of Alcohol Abuse. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:858940. [PMID: 35418842 PMCID: PMC8996132 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.858940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic background and age at first exposure have been identified as critical variables that contribute to individual vulnerability to drug addiction. Evidence shows that genetic factors may account for 40–70% of the variance in liability to addiction. Alcohol consumption by young people, especially in the form of binge-drinking, is becoming an alarming phenomenon predictive of future problems with drinking. Thus, the literature indicates the need to better understand the influence of age and genetic background on the development of alcohol dependence. To this aim, the inbred rat strains Lewis (LEW, addiction prone) and Fischer 344 (F344, addiction resistant) were used as a model of genetic vulnerability to addiction and compared with the outbred strain Sprague-Dawley (SD) in a two-bottle choice paradigm as a model of alcohol abuse. During a 9-week period, adolescent and adult male rats of the three strains were intermittently exposed to ethanol (20%) and water during three 24-h sessions/week. Adult and adolescent SD and LEW rats escalated their alcohol intake over time reaching at stable levels, while F344 rats did not escalate their intake, regardless of age at drinking onset. Among adolescents, only F344 rats consumed a higher total amount of ethanol than adults, although only SD and LEW rats escalated their intake. Adult LEW rats, albeit having a lower ethanol consumption as compared to SD rats but greater than F344, showed a more compulsive intake, consuming higher amounts of ethanol during the first hour of exposure, reaching a higher degree of ethanol preference when start drinking as adolescents. Behavioral analysis during the first hour of ethanol consumption revealed significant strain differences, among which noticeable the lack of sedative effect in the LEW strain, at variance with F344 and SD strains, and highest indices of withdrawal (most notable jumping) in LEW rats during the first hour of abstinence days. The present results underscore the importance of individual genetic background and early onset of alcohol use in the progression toward abuse and development of alcohol addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Corongiu
- Neuropsychopharmacology Section, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Christian Dessì
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Elena Espa
- Neuropsychopharmacology Section, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Augusta Pisanu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Annalisa Pinna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Daniele Lecca
- Neuropsychopharmacology Section, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Sandro Fenu
- Neuropsychopharmacology Section, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Cristina Cadoni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy, Cagliari, Italy
- *Correspondence: Cristina Cadoni, ,
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Lai D, Johnson EC, Colbert S, Pandey G, Chan G, Bauer L, Francis MW, Hesselbrock V, Kamarajan C, Kramer J, Kuang W, Kuo S, Kuperman S, Liu Y, McCutcheon V, Pang Z, Plawecki MH, Schuckit M, Tischfield J, Wetherill L, Zang Y, Edenberg HJ, Porjesz B, Agrawal A, Foroud T. Evaluating risk for alcohol use disorder: Polygenic risk scores and family history. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:374-383. [PMID: 35267208 PMCID: PMC8928056 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early identification of individuals at high risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD) coupled with prompt interventions could reduce the incidence of AUD. In this study, we investigated whether Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) can be used to evaluate the risk for AUD and AUD severity (as measured by the number of DSM-5 AUD diagnostic criteria met) and compared their performance with a measure of family history of AUD. METHODS We studied individuals of European ancestry from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). DSM-5 diagnostic criteria were available for 7203 individuals, of whom 3451 met criteria for DSM-IV alcohol dependence or DSM-5 AUD and 1616 were alcohol-exposed controls aged ≥21 years with no history of AUD or drug dependence. Further, 4842 individuals had a positive first-degree family history of AUD (FH+), 2722 had an unknown family history (FH?), and 336 had a negative family history (FH-). PRS were derived from a meta-analysis of a genome-wide association study of AUD from the Million Veteran Program and scores from the problem subscale of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test in the UK Biobank. We used mixed models to test the association between PRS and risk for AUD and AUD severity. RESULTS AUD cases had higher PRS than controls with PRS increasing as the number of DSM-5 diagnostic criteria increased (p-values ≤ 1.85E-05 ) in the full COGA sample, the FH+ subsample, and the FH? subsample. Individuals in the top decile of PRS had odds ratios (OR) for developing AUD of 1.96 (95% CI: 1.54 to 2.51, p-value = 7.57E-08 ) and 1.86 (95% CI: 1.35 to 2.56, p-value = 1.32E-04 ) in the full sample and the FH+ subsample, respectively. These values are comparable to previously reported ORs for a first-degree family history (1.91 to 2.38) estimated from national surveys. PRS were also significantly associated with the DSM-5 AUD diagnostic criterion count in the full sample, the FH+ subsample, and the FH? subsample (p-values ≤6.7E-11 ). PRS remained significantly associated with AUD and AUD severity after accounting for a family history of AUD (p-values ≤6.8E-10 ). CONCLUSIONS Both PRS and family history were associated with AUD and AUD severity, indicating that these risk measures assess distinct aspects of liability to AUD traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongbing Lai
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Emma C. Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Sarah Colbert
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Gayathri Pandey
- Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Lab, Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
| | - Grace Chan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
| | - Lance Bauer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
| | - Meredith W. Francis
- The Brown School of Social Work, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Victor Hesselbrock
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
| | - Chella Kamarajan
- Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Lab, Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
| | - John Kramer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
| | - Weipeng Kuang
- Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Lab, Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
| | - Sally Kuo
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Samuel Kuperman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
| | - Yunlong Liu
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Vivia McCutcheon
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Zhiping Pang
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ
| | - Martin H. Plawecki
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Marc Schuckit
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego Medical School, San Diego, CA
| | - Jay Tischfield
- Department of Genetics and the Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ
| | - Leah Wetherill
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Yong Zang
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Howard J. Edenberg
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Bernice Porjesz
- Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Lab, Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
| | - Arpana Agrawal
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Tatiana Foroud
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
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Clarke TK, Adams MJ, Howard DM, Xia C, Davies G, Hayward C, Campbell A, Padmanabhan S, Smith BH, Murray A, Porteous D, Deary IJ, McIntosh AM. Genetic and shared couple environmental contributions to smoking and alcohol use in the UK population. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:4344-4354. [PMID: 31767999 PMCID: PMC8550945 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0607-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use and smoking are leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Both genetic and environmental factors have been shown to influence individual differences in the use of these substances. In the present study we tested whether genetic factors, modelled alongside common family environment, explained phenotypic variance in alcohol use and smoking behaviour in the Generation Scotland (GS) family sample of up to 19,377 individuals. SNP and pedigree-associated effects combined explained between 18 and 41% of the variance in substance use. Shared couple effects explained a significant amount of variance across all substance use traits, particularly alcohol intake, for which 38% of the phenotypic variance was explained. We tested whether the within-couple substance use associations were due to assortative mating by testing the association between partner polygenic risk scores in 34,987 couple pairs from the UK Biobank (UKB). No significant association between partner polygenic risk scores were observed. Associations between an individual's alcohol PRS (b = 0.05, S.E. = 0.006, p < 2 × 10-16) and smoking status PRS (b = 0.05, S.E. = 0.005, p < 2 × 10-16) were found with their partner's phenotype. In support of this, G carriers of a functional ADH1B polymorphism (rs1229984), known to be associated with greater alcohol intake, were found to consume less alcohol if they had a partner who carried an A allele at this SNP. Together these results show that the shared couple environment contributes significantly to patterns of substance use. It is unclear whether this is due to shared environmental factors, assortative mating, or indirect genetic effects. Future studies would benefit from longitudinal data and larger sample sizes to assess this further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni-Kim Clarke
- Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Mark J Adams
- Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David M Howard
- Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Charley Xia
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gail Davies
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Caroline Hayward
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Archie Campbell
- Usher Institute for Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sandosh Padmanabhan
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Blair H Smith
- Division of Population and Health Genomics, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Alison Murray
- The Institute of Medical Sciences, Aberdeen Biomedical Imaging Centre, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - David Porteous
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andrew M McIntosh
- Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Ozturk B, Pogun S, Kanit L. Increased alcohol preference and intake in nicotine-preferring rats. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2020; 46:408-420. [PMID: 31860364 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2019.1695808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol and tobacco are among the leading substances that are misused together and shared genetic vulnerability is likely. Increased susceptibility to nicotine self-administration has been shown in alcohol-preferring rat-lines. However, a nicotine-preferring (nP) rat-line has not been studied for alcohol preference. OBJECTIVES To evaluate alcohol preference and intake in male and female nP rats. We hypothesized that nP rats and females would drink more ethanol than control rats and males, respectively. METHODS nP rats are being selectively outbred for high oral nicotine intake at Ege University. Seventeen nP (18th generation) and 20 naïve female and male SD rats, not previously exposed to alcohol or nicotine, were used. Twelve-week-old rats were given intermittent access to 20% ethanol in a 2-bottle-choice-procedure for six weeks. After one week withdrawal, six weeks of oral nicotine self-administration was applied. RESULTS nP rats drank significantly more ethanol than controls and their preference for ethanol over water was higher. Female rats' ethanol intake was higher than males'. The nP rats' nicotine preference and intake were higher than controls, and they gained less weight. CONCLUSION We have shown for the first time that nP rats also have high alcohol intake. Our results support the hypothesis that shared genetic factors may underlie concurrent addiction to nicotine and alcohol and have translational value in understanding their misuse. Considering the increased vulnerability for alcohol use disorder in smokers and sex differences observed, early preventive measures in families with a history of tobacco addiction, specifically targeting female members, could have public health benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baran Ozturk
- Center for Brain Research and School of Medicine Department of Physiology, Ege University , Izmir, Turkey
| | - Sakire Pogun
- Center for Brain Research and School of Medicine Department of Physiology, Ege University , Izmir, Turkey
| | - Lutfiye Kanit
- Center for Brain Research and School of Medicine Department of Physiology, Ege University , Izmir, Turkey
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Johnson EC, St Pierre CL, Meyers JL, Aliev F, McCutcheon VV, Lai D, Dick DM, Goate AM, Kramer J, Kuperman S, Nurnberger JI, Schuckit MA, Porjesz B, Edenberg HJ, Bucholz KK, Agrawal A. The Genetic Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption and Aspects of Problem Drinking in an Ascertained Sample. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:1113-1125. [PMID: 30994927 PMCID: PMC6560626 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genomewide association studies (GWAS) have begun to identify loci related to alcohol consumption, but little is known about whether this genetic propensity overlaps with specific indices of problem drinking in ascertained samples. METHODS In 6,731 European Americans who had been exposed to alcohol, we examined whether polygenic risk scores (PRS) from a GWAS of weekly alcohol consumption in the UK Biobank predicted variance in 6 alcohol-related phenotypes: alcohol use, maximum drinks within 24 hours (MAXD), total score on the Self-Rating of the Effects of Ethanol Questionnaire (SRE-T), DSM-IV alcohol dependence (DSM4AD), DSM-5 alcohol use disorder symptom counts (DSM5AUDSX), and reduction/cessation of problematic drinking. We also examined the extent to which an single nucleotide polymorphism (rs1229984) in ADH1B, which is strongly associated with both alcohol consumption and dependence, contributed to the polygenic association with these phenotypes and whether PRS interacted with sex, age, or family history of alcoholism to predict alcohol-related outcomes. We performed mixed-effect regression analyses, with family membership and recruitment site included as random effects, as well as survival modeling of age of onset of DSM4AD. RESULTS PRS for alcohol consumption significantly predicted variance in 5 of the 6 outcomes: alcohol use (Δmarginal R2 = 1.39%, Δ area under the curve [AUC] = 0.011), DSM4AD (Δmarginal R2 = 0.56%; ΔAUC = 0.003), DSM5AUDSX (Δmarginal R2 = 0.49%), MAXD (Δmarginal R2 = 0.31%), and SRE-T (Δmarginal R2 = 0.22%). PRS were also associated with onset of DSM4AD (hazard ratio = 1.11, p = 2.08e-5). The inclusion of rs1229984 attenuated the effects of the alcohol consumption PRS, particularly for DSM4AD and DSM5AUDSX, but the PRS continued to exert an independent effect for all 5 alcohol measures (Δmarginal R2 after controlling for ADH1B = 0.14 to 1.22%). Interactions between PRS and sex, age, or family history were nonsignificant. CONCLUSIONS Genetic propensity for typical alcohol consumption was associated with alcohol use and was also associated with 4 of the additional 5 outcomes, though the variance explained in this sample was modest. Future GWAS that focus on the multifaceted nature of AUD, which goes beyond consumption, might reveal additional information regarding the polygenic underpinnings of problem drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Celine L St Pierre
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
| | - Jacquelyn L Meyers
- Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
| | - Fazil Aliev
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
- Department of Actuarial and Risk Management, Faculty of Business, Karabuk University, Karabük, Turkey
| | - Vivia V McCutcheon
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Dongbing Lai
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Danielle M Dick
- Department of Psychology and Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Alison M Goate
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - John Kramer
- Department of Psychiatry, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Samuel Kuperman
- Department of Psychiatry, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - John I Nurnberger
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Marc A Schuckit
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Bernice Porjesz
- Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
| | - Howard J Edenberg
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Kathleen K Bucholz
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Arpana Agrawal
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
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8
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Genetic correlation of antisocial behaviour with alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis use. Drug Alcohol Depend 2018; 187:296-299. [PMID: 29702338 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is high comorbidity between antisocial behaviour (ASB) and substance use, and twin studies have shown that part of the covariation is due to overlapping genetic influences. Here we used measured genetic effects to estimate the genetic correlations of ASB with nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis use. METHODS We meta-analysed data from two genome-wide association studies for ASB and used existing summary statistics from the largest genome-wide association studies into substance use (ever smoking, cigarettes smoked per day, weekly alcohol consumption, and lifetime cannabis use). We performed cross-trait LD-score regression to estimate genetic correlations between ASB and substance use phenotypes explained by all single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). When significant, we tested whether the signs of the regression coefficients of SNPs from the ASB and substance use phenotypes were in the same direction across multiple p-value thresholds and examined enrichment in overlap of the strongest associated SNPs. RESULTS We found nominally significant genetic correlations of ASB with lifetime cannabis use (rg = 0.69, p=.016) and cigarettes per day (rg = 0.59, p = 0.036) but not with weekly alcohol consumption or ever smoking. Sign-tests revealed consistent directions of effect of SNPs for ASB and cannabis use for all p-value thresholds except the most stringent one, whereas for ASB with cigarettes per day no consistent evidence was found. We found no evidence of enrichment in overlap of the most associated SNPs across these traits. CONCLUSION Using measured genetic variants, we found preliminary support for a genetic correlation of ASB with lifetime cannabis use and cigarettes per day.
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9
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Maes HH, Morley K, Neale MC, Kendler KS, Heath AC, Eaves LJ, Martin NG. Cross-Cultural Comparison of Genetic and Cultural Transmission of Smoking Initiation Using an Extended Twin Kinship Model. Twin Res Hum Genet 2018; 21:179-190. [PMID: 29757125 PMCID: PMC6340705 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2018.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Considerable evidence from twin and adoption studies indicates that genetic and shared environmental factors play a role in the initiation of smoking behavior. Although twin and adoption designs are powerful to detect genetic and environmental influences, they do not provide information on the processes of assortative mating and parent-offspring transmission and their contribution to the variability explained by genetic and/or environmental factors. METHODS We examined the role of genetic and environmental factors in individual differences for smoking initiation (SI) using an extended kinship design. This design allows the simultaneous testing of additive and non-additive genetic, shared and individual-specific environmental factors, as well as sex differences in the expression of genes and environment in the presence of assortative mating and combined genetic and cultural transmission, while also estimating the regression of the prevalence of SI on age. A dichotomous lifetime 'ever' smoking measure was obtained from twins and relatives in the 'Virginia 30,000' sample and the 'Australian 25,000'. RESULTS Results demonstrate that both genetic and environmental factors play a significant role in the liability to SI. Major influences on individual differences appeared to be additive genetic and unique environmental effects, with smaller contributions from assortative mating, shared sibling environment, twin environment, cultural transmission, and resulting genotype-environment covariance. Age regression of the prevalence of SI was significant. The finding of negative cultural transmission without dominance led us to investigate more closely two possible mechanisms for the lower parent-offspring correlations compared to the sibling and DZ twin correlations in subsets of the data: (1) age × gene interaction, and (2) social homogamy. Neither of the mechanism provided a significantly better explanation of the data. CONCLUSIONS This study showed significant heritability, partly due to assortment, and significant effects of primarily non-parental shared environment on liability to SI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermine H Maes
- Department of Human Genetics,Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics,Virginia Commonwealth University,Richmond,VA,USA
| | - Kate Morley
- Genetic Epidemiology,QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute,Brisbane,Queensland,Australia
| | - Michael C Neale
- Department of Human Genetics,Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics,Virginia Commonwealth University,Richmond,VA,USA
| | - Kenneth S Kendler
- Department of Human Genetics,Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics,Virginia Commonwealth University,Richmond,VA,USA
| | - Andrew C Heath
- Department of Psychiatry,Washington University School of Medicine,St Louis,MO,USA
| | - Lindon J Eaves
- Department of Human Genetics,Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics,Virginia Commonwealth University,Richmond,VA,USA
| | - Nicholas G Martin
- Genetic Epidemiology,QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute,Brisbane,Queensland,Australia
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10
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Agrawal A, Nelson EC, Bucholz KK, Tillman R, Grucza RA, Statham DJ, Madden PA, Martin NG, Heath AC, Lynskey MT. Major depressive disorder, suicidal thoughts and behaviours, and cannabis involvement in discordant twins: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet Psychiatry 2017; 4:706-714. [PMID: 28750823 PMCID: PMC5696002 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(17)30280-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early and frequent cannabis use are associated with an increased likelihood of major depressive disorder (MDD) as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviours. We identify associations between aspects of cannabis use, MDD, and suicidal thoughts and behaviours and examine whether such associations persist after accounting for those predisposing factors, including genetic liability and early family environment, that are shared by identical twins who are discordant for cannabis exposure. Any residual association in such identical pairs might be indicative of individual-specific pathways that might be of a causal nature. METHODS We did a logistic regression analysis of cannabis use from retrospective data on same-sex male and female twin pairs drawn from 3 studies that had recruited twins from the Australian Twin Registry, 1992-93 (sample 1), 1996-2000 (sample 2), and 2005-09 (sample 3). We studied associations between early use and frequent use of cannabis and MDD, suicidal ideation (ever and persistent), and suicide plan and attempt in the full sample as well as in pairs of monozygotic and dizygotic twins that were discordant for each measure of cannabis involvement at a single timepoint. Significant monozygotic associations were further adjusted for covariates, such as early alcohol or nicotine use, early dysphoric or anhedonic mood, conduct disorder, and childhood sexual abuse. Interactions between each cannabis measure and sex, sample or study effects, and birth year category were also examined as covariates. FINDINGS In 13 986 twins (6181 monozygotic and 7805 dizygotic), cannabis use ranged from 1345 (30·4%) of 4432 people in sample 1 to 2275 (69·0%) of 3299 in sample 3. Mean age of first cannabis use ranged from 17·9 years (SD 3·3) in sample 3 to 21·1 years (5·2) in sample 1, and frequent use (≥100 times) was reported by 214 (15·9%) of 1345 users in sample 1 and 499 (21·9%) of 2275 in sample 3. The prevalence of suicidal ideation ranged from 1102 (24·9%) of 4432 people in sample 1 to 1644 (26·3%) of 6255 people in sample 2 and 865 (26·2%) of 3299 people in sample 3. Prevalence of MDD ranged from 901 (20·3%) people in sample 1 to 1773 (28·3%) in sample 2. The monozygotic twin who used cannabis frequently was more likely to report MDD (odds ratio 1·98, 95% CI 1·11-3·53) and suicidal ideation (2·47, 1·19-5·10) compared with their identical twin who had used cannabis less frequently, even after adjustment for covariates. For early cannabis use, the monozygotic point estimate was not significant but could be equated to the significant dizygotic estimate, suggesting a possible association with suicidal ideation. INTERPRETATION The increased likelihood of MDD and suicidal ideation in frequent cannabis users cannot be solely attributed to common predisposing factors. FUNDING National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpana Agrawal
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Elliot C Nelson
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kathleen K Bucholz
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rebecca Tillman
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Richard A Grucza
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Dixie J Statham
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia
| | - Pamela Af Madden
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Andrew C Heath
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Michael T Lynskey
- National Addictions Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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11
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Wills AG, Evans LM, Hopfer C. Phenotypic and Genetic Relationship Between BMI and Drinking in a Sample of UK Adults. Behav Genet 2017; 47:290-297. [PMID: 28238197 PMCID: PMC5546738 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-017-9838-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The health impairments derived from both alcoholism and obesity are well known. However, reports that relate increased alcohol use with increased measures of obesity have been mixed in their findings, especially with respect to genetic factors that could potentially link these two behaviors. Here, using a large sample of adults from the UK (n ≈ 113,000), we report both the observed and genetic correlations between BMI (kg/m2) and two measures of alcohol use: reported quantity (drinks per week) and frequency of use (from never to daily). Overall, both observationally and genetically, alcohol intake is negatively correlated with BMI. Phenotypic correlations ranged from -0.01 to -0.17, and genetic correlations ranged from -0.1 to -0.4. Genetic correlations tended to be stronger than the phenotypic correlations, and these correlations were stronger in females and between BMI and, specifically, frequency of use. Though the mechanisms driving these relationships are yet to be identified, we can conclude that the genetic factors related to drinking both more and more often are shared with those responsible for lower BMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda G Wills
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12800 E. 19th Ave., Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, 1480 30th Street, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Denver, Research North Tower, 12800 East 19th Ave., Aurora, CO, 80010, USA.
| | - Luke M Evans
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, 1480 30th Street, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA
| | - Christian Hopfer
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, 1480 30th Street, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA
- Division of Substance Dependence, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12469 E 17th Place, Bldg 400, Mail Stop F478, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
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12
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Otto JM, Gizer IR, Deak JD, Fleming KA, Bartholow BD. A cis-eQTL in OPRM1 is Associated with Subjective Response to Alcohol and Alcohol Use. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:929-938. [PMID: 28273335 PMCID: PMC5404990 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A functional polymorphism within the μ-opioid receptor (OPRM1) gene, rs1799971 (A118G), previously has been associated with measures of alcohol use and sensitivity to its effects, but findings have been inconclusive. A recent study suggested that a second nearby variant within OPRM1, rs3778150, is robustly associated with heroin dependence and fully explained a smaller observed association with rs1799971. Given evidence that the rs3778150-C allele is associated with decreased OPRM1 expression levels in the human brain, the current study sought to test the hypothesis that rs3778150 represents a causal variant within OPRM1 that increases risk for a variety of alcohol use phenotypes. METHODS Participants with genotype and phenotype data from a larger experimental study (N = 152) were assessed on measures of subjective response to alcohol and alcohol use. Measures included (i) the Self-Rating of the Effects of Alcohol and the Alcohol Sensitivity Questionnaire, (ii) the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (BAES) and ratings of subjective intoxication, and (iii) average number of drinks per week in the past month. RESULTS Compared to rs3778150-T homozygous individuals, carriers of the rs3778150-C allele exhibited significantly lower retrospective self-report levels of alcohol sensitivity. Carriers of the rs3778150-C allele also exhibited lower levels of BAES alcohol-related stimulation during an alcohol challenge and reported higher levels of drinking in the last 30 days. With the exception of lower levels of BAES alcohol-related sedation, the rs1799971 variant did not show consistent significant association with any of the alcohol phenotypes in the presence of rs3778150. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that rs3778150 may be causally related to alcohol use phenotypes, and could potentially account for previously observed associations of rs1799971 with substance use phenotypes. Future studies may investigate potential causal relations among genetic variants in OPRM1, subjective response to alcohol, and drinking phenotypes to further delineate the effects of rs3778150.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline M Otto
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Ian R Gizer
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Joseph D Deak
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Kimberly A Fleming
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Bruce D Bartholow
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
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13
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Verweij KJ, Creemers H, Korhonen T, Latvala A, Dick D, Rose RJ, Huizink A, Kaprio J. Role of overlapping genetic and environmental factors in the relationship between early adolescent conduct problems and substance use in young adulthood. Addiction 2016; 111:1036-45. [PMID: 26748618 PMCID: PMC4861688 DOI: 10.1111/add.13303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To determine (1) the prospective associations of conduct problems during early adolescence with tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use in young adulthood and (2) to what extent these associations are due to overlapping genetic versus environmental influences. DESIGN A prospective twin study using biometric twin modelling. SETTING Finland. PARTICIPANTS A total of 1847 Finnish twins (943 males and 904 females) were interviewed in early adolescence, 73% of whom (n = 1353, 640 males and 713 females) were retained in young adulthood. MEASUREMENTS Symptom counts of conduct disorder (CD) criteria were obtained from a semi-structured clinical interview in early adolescence [age 14-15 years, mean = 14.2, standard deviation (SD) = 0.15]. Frequency of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use was obtained from a semi-structured clinical interview in young adulthood (age 19.9-26.6 years, mean = 22.4, SD = 0.7). FINDINGS We found modest to moderate phenotypical correlations (r = 0.16-0.35) between early adolescent CD symptoms and substance use in young adulthood. In males, the phenotypical correlations of CD symptoms with all three substance use variables are explained largely by overlapping genetic influences. In females, overlapping shared environmental influences predominantly explain the phenotypical correlation between CD symptoms and tobacco and cannabis use. CONCLUSIONS Conduct disorder symptoms in early adolescence appear to moderately predict substance use in early adulthood. In males, genetic influences seem to be most important in explaining the relationship between conduct disorder symptoms and substance use whereas in females, shared environmental influences seem to be most important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin J.H. Verweij
- VU University, Department of Clinical Developmental Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, 1081 BT Amsterdam, the Netherlands,Department of Biological Psychology/Netherlands Twin Register, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H.E. Creemers
- Forensic Child and Youth Care Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T. Korhonen
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland,Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Finland
| | - A. Latvala
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - D.M. Dick
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - R. J. Rose
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - A.C. Huizink
- VU University, Department of Clinical Developmental Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, 1081 BT Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J. Kaprio
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland,Finnish Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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14
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Dorokhov YL, Shindyapina AV, Sheshukova EV, Komarova TV. Metabolic methanol: molecular pathways and physiological roles. Physiol Rev 2015; 95:603-44. [PMID: 25834233 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00034.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Methanol has been historically considered an exogenous product that leads only to pathological changes in the human body when consumed. However, in normal, healthy individuals, methanol and its short-lived oxidized product, formaldehyde, are naturally occurring compounds whose functions and origins have received limited attention. There are several sources of human physiological methanol. Fruits, vegetables, and alcoholic beverages are likely the main sources of exogenous methanol in the healthy human body. Metabolic methanol may occur as a result of fermentation by gut bacteria and metabolic processes involving S-adenosyl methionine. Regardless of its source, low levels of methanol in the body are maintained by physiological and metabolic clearance mechanisms. Although human blood contains small amounts of methanol and formaldehyde, the content of these molecules increases sharply after receiving even methanol-free ethanol, indicating an endogenous source of the metabolic methanol present at low levels in the blood regulated by a cluster of genes. Recent studies of the pathogenesis of neurological disorders indicate metabolic formaldehyde as a putative causative agent. The detection of increased formaldehyde content in the blood of both neurological patients and the elderly indicates the important role of genetic and biochemical mechanisms of maintaining low levels of methanol and formaldehyde.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri L Dorokhov
- A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia; and N. I. Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastasia V Shindyapina
- A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia; and N. I. Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina V Sheshukova
- A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia; and N. I. Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana V Komarova
- A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia; and N. I. Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
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15
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Wu SH, Guo Q, Viken RJ, Reed T, Dai J. Heritability of usual alcohol intoxication and hangover in male twins: the NAS-NRC Twin Registry. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2015; 38:2307-13. [PMID: 25156618 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption is influenced by heritable factors. The genetic influence on usual high-density drinking, including alcohol intoxication and hangover, is unknown. We aim to estimate the heritability of usual high-density drinking. METHODS A total of 13,511 male twins in this cross-sectional study were included from the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council (NAS-NRC) Twin Registry. Data on the frequency of alcohol intoxication and alcohol hangover over the past year, that is, usual high-density drinking (phenotypes), were collected through a self-administered questionnaire when twins were middle-aged in 1972. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the variance components of phenotypes. RESULTS The mean of the frequency of usual high-density drinking in the entire twin population was 0.16 times per month for intoxication and 0.18 times per month for hangover. The heritability of usual alcohol intoxication was 50.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 46.2 to 55.0) before and 49.9% (95% CI 45.3 to 54.2) after the body mass index (BMI) adjustment. The heritability of usual hangover was 55.4% (95% CI 51.2 to 58.6) before and 54.8% (95% CI 50.6 to 58.8) after adjustment for BMI. Unshared environmental factors between co-twins explained the remaining variance in alcohol intoxication and in hangover. CONCLUSIONS Both genetic and unshared environmental factors have important influences on usual alcohol intoxication and hangover. These findings are important in understanding the occurrence of and developing interventions for usual high-density drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Hui Wu
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Institute of Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
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16
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Jones JD, Comer SD, Kranzler HR. The pharmacogenetics of alcohol use disorder. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2015; 39:391-402. [PMID: 25703505 PMCID: PMC4348335 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Annually, the use and abuse of alcohol contributes to millions of deaths and billions of dollars in societal costs. To determine the impact of genetic variation on the susceptibility to the disorder and its response to treatment, studies have been conducted to assess the contribution of a variety of candidate genetic variants. These variants, which we review here, were chosen based upon their observed or hypothesized functional relevance to alcohol use disorder (AUD) risk or to the mechanism by which medications used to treat the disorder exert their effects. METHODS This qualitative review examines studies in which candidate polymorphisms were tested as moderator variables to identify pharmacogenetic effects on either the subjective response to alcohol or the outcomes of pharmacotherapy. RESULTS Although findings from these studies provide evidence of a number of clinically relevant pharmacogenetic effects, the literature is limited and there are conflicting findings that require resolution. CONCLUSIONS Pharmacogenetic studies of AUD treatment that use greater methodological rigor and better statistical controls, such as corrections for multiple testing, may help to resolve inconsistent findings. These procedures could also lead to the discovery of more robust and clinically meaningful moderator effects. As the field evolves through methodological standardization and the use of larger study samples, pharmacogenetic research has the potential to inform clinical care by enhancing therapeutic effects and personalizing treatments. These efforts may also provide insights into the mechanisms by which medications reduce heavy drinking or promote abstinence in patients with an AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jermaine D Jones
- Division on Substance Abuse , New York State Psychiatric Institute & Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York
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17
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Jasiewicz A, Samochowiec A, Samochowiec J, Małecka I, Suchanecka A, Grzywacz A. Suicidal behavior and haplotypes of the dopamine receptor gene (DRD2) and ANKK1 gene polymorphisms in patients with alcohol dependence--preliminary report. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111798. [PMID: 25415204 PMCID: PMC4240548 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Suicide is a significant public health issue and a major cause of death throughout the world. According to WHO it accounts for almost 2% of deaths worldwide. The etiology of suicidal behavior is complex but the results of many studies suggest that genetic determinants are of significant importance. In our study,--we have analyzed selected SNPs polymorphisms in the DRD2 and ANKK1 genes in patients with alcohol dependence syndrome (169 Caucasian subjects) including a subgroup of individuals (n = 61) who have experienced at least one suicide attempt. The aim of the study was to verify if various haplotypes of selected genes, comprising Taq1A, Taq1B, and Taq1D single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), play any role in the development of alcohol dependence and suicidal behavior. The control group comprised 157 unrelated individuals matched for ethnicity, gender,- and age and included no individuals with mental disorders. All subjects were recruited in the North West region of Poland. The study showed that alcohol dependent subjects with a history of at least one suicidal attempt were characterized by a significantly higher frequency of the T-G-A2 haplotype when compared to individuals in whom alcohol dependence was not associated with suicidal behavior (p = 0.006). It appears that studies based on identifying correlation between SNPs is the future for research on genetic risk factors that contribute to the development of alcohol addiction and other associated disorders. To sum up, there is a necessity to perform further research to explain dependencies between the dopaminergic system, alcohol use disorders and suicidal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Jasiewicz
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Samochowiec
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Jerzy Samochowiec
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Iwona Małecka
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | | | - Anna Grzywacz
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
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18
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Kos MZ, Glahn DC, Carless MA, Olvera R, McKay DR, Quillen EE, Gelernter J, Chen XD, Deng HW, Kent JW, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Almasy L. Novel QTL at chromosome 6p22 for alcohol consumption: Implications for the genetic liability of alcohol use disorders. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2014; 165B:294-302. [PMID: 24692236 PMCID: PMC4172449 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2013] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Linkage studies of alcoholism have implicated several chromosome regions, leading to the successful identification of susceptibility genes, including ADH4 and GABRA2 on chromosome 4. Quantitative endophenotypes that are potentially closer to gene action than clinical endpoints offer a means of obtaining more refined linkage signals of genes that predispose alcohol use disorders (AUD). In this study we examine a self-reported measure of the maximum number of drinks consumed in a 24-hr period (abbreviated Max Drinks), a significantly heritable phenotype (h(2) = 0.32 ± 0.05; P = 4.61 × 10(-14)) with a strong genetic correlation with AUD (ρg = 0.99 ± 0.13) for the San Antonio Family Study (n = 1,203). Genome-wide SNPs were analyzed using variance components linkage methods in the program SOLAR, revealing a novel, genome-wide significant QTL (LOD = 4.17; P = 5.85 × 10(-6)) for Max Drinks at chromosome 6p22.3, a region with a number of compelling candidate genes implicated in neuronal function and psychiatric illness. Joint analysis of Max Drinks and AUD status shows that the QTL has a significant non-zero effect on diagnosis (P = 4.04 × 10(-3)), accounting for 8.6% of the total variation. Significant SNP associations for Max Drinks were also identified at the linkage region, including one, rs7761213 (P = 2.14 × 10(-4)), obtained for an independent sample of Chinese families. Thus, our study identifies a potential risk locus for AUD at 6p22.3, with significant pleiotropic effects on the heaviness of alcohol consumption that may not be population specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Z. Kos
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA,Correspondence to: Dr. M.Z. Kos, Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, 7620 N.W. Loop 410, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA,
| | - David C. Glahn
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Melanie A. Carless
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Rene Olvera
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - D. Reese McKay
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Ellen E. Quillen
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Joel Gelernter
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Xiang-Ding Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hong-Wen Deng
- School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Jack W. Kent
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Thomas D. Dyer
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Harald H.H. Göring
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Joanne E. Curran
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Ravi Duggirala
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - John Blangero
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Laura Almasy
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Irons DE, Iacono WG, Oetting WS, Kirkpatrick RM, Vrieze SI, Miller MB, McGue M. Gamma-aminobutyric acid system genes--no evidence for a role in alcohol use and abuse in a community-based sample. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2014; 38:938-47. [PMID: 24460875 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While twin and adoption studies point to substantial genetic influence upon alcohol use, dependence, and other alcohol-related phenotypes, few of the genes underlying variation in these phenotypes have been identified. Markers in genes related to GABAergic activity-a system integral to many of alcohol's biological effects-have been implicated in alcohol use and alcohol-related psychopathology in linkage and association studies. METHODS Using multiple methods, we conducted a comprehensive examination of the effects of markers in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system genes in a community-based sample of 7,224 individuals assessed in early and middle adulthood. In addition to testing the effect of individual single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers on alcohol-related phenotypes, we computed a polygenic score reflecting the aggregated effects of multiple GABA system SNPs. We also estimated the variance in alcohol-related phenotypes attributable to all GABA system markers considered simultaneously and conducted gene-based association tests. RESULTS No method produced results indicative of an effect of GABA system variants on measures of alcohol use or misuse. CONCLUSIONS These results reflect alcohol-related behaviors in a population-representative sample, many of whom are still in adolescence, and in which the incidence of heavy drinking and alcohol-related symptomatology are relatively low. Contrasted with existing studies of the association between alcohol use and GABA system genes, our results suggest that the relationship may be limited to particular contexts, such as when accompanied by polysubstance abuse or a familial history of alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Irons
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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20
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Wang JC, Foroud T, Hinrichs AL, Le NXH, Bertelsen S, Budde JP, Harari O, Koller DL, Wetherill L, Agrawal A, Almasy L, Brooks AI, Bucholz K, Dick D, Hesselbrock V, Johnson EO, Kang S, Kapoor M, Kramer J, Kuperman S, Madden PAF, Manz N, Martin NG, McClintick JN, Montgomery GW, Nurnberger JI, Rangaswamy M, Rice J, Schuckit M, Tischfield JA, Whitfield JB, Xuei X, Porjesz B, Heath AC, Edenberg HJ, Bierut LJ, Goate AM. A genome-wide association study of alcohol-dependence symptom counts in extended pedigrees identifies C15orf53. Mol Psychiatry 2013; 18:1218-24. [PMID: 23089632 PMCID: PMC3752321 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2012.143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2011] [Revised: 07/26/2012] [Accepted: 09/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have identified genes associated with alcohol-use disorders (AUDs), but the variation in each of these genes explains only a small portion of the genetic vulnerability. The goal of the present study was to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in extended families from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism to identify novel genes affecting risk for alcohol dependence (AD). To maximize the power of the extended family design, we used a quantitative endophenotype, measured in all individuals: number of alcohol-dependence symptoms endorsed (symptom count (SC)). Secondary analyses were performed to determine if the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with SC were also associated with the dichotomous phenotype, DSM-IV AD. This family-based GWAS identified SNPs in C15orf53 that are strongly associated with DSM-IV alcohol-dependence symptom counts (P=4.5 × 10(-8), inflation-corrected P=9.4 × 10(-7)). Results with DSM-IV AD in the regions of interest support our findings with SC, although the associations were less significant. Attempted replications of the most promising association results were conducted in two independent samples: nonoverlapping subjects from the Study of Addiction: Genes and Environment (SAGE) and the Australian Twin Family Study of AUDs (OZALC). Nominal association of C15orf53 with SC was observed in SAGE. The variant that showed strongest association with SC, rs12912251 and its highly correlated variants (D'=1, r(2) 0.95), have previously been associated with risk for bipolar disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Chyong Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Tatiana Foroud
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Anthony L Hinrichs
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Nhung XH Le
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Sarah Bertelsen
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - John P Budde
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Oscar Harari
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Daniel L Koller
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Leah Wetherill
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Arpana Agrawal
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Laura Almasy
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX
| | | | - Kathleen Bucholz
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Danielle Dick
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Victor Hesselbrock
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
| | - Eric O Johnson
- Division of Health, Social and Economic Research, Research Triangle Institute International, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | - Sun Kang
- Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
| | - Manav Kapoor
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - John Kramer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
| | - Samuel Kuperman
- Division of Child Psychiatry, University of Iowa Hospitals, Iowa City, IA
| | - Pamela AF Madden
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Niklas Manz
- Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
| | | | - Jeanette N McClintick
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | | | - John I Nurnberger
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Madhavi Rangaswamy
- Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
| | - John Rice
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Marc Schuckit
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Jay A Tischfield
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX
| | | | - Xiaoling Xuei
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Bernice Porjesz
- Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
| | - Andrew C Heath
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Howard J Edenberg
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Laura J Bierut
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Alison M Goate
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
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Abstract
This study examined common and unique genetic and environmental influences on weekend drinking and weekday drinking reported by US male and female adult participants (mean age = 43.9). Data from 96 monozygotic and 82 dizygotic twin pairs were used to estimate bivariate biometric models of daily levels of weekend and weekday drinking volume. Weekend and weekday drinking volume scores were calculated from end-of-day reports of drinking across eight days. As expected, more drinking occurred during weekends. Biometric models provided evidence of significant additive genetic and nonshared environmental influences on both weekend and weekday drinking. Shared environmental influences were nonsignificant. Genetic influences accounted for a greater proportion of drinking variance during weekdays than weekends (0.36 compared to 0.17). However, these apparent differences in heritability-proportion of total variance accounted for by genetic variance-were due to increased nonshared environmental influences on weekend days, rather than greater genetic influences. The study's limitations are noted. Funded by National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Aging and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
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22
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Agrawal A, Verweij KJH, Gillespie NA, Heath AC, Lessov-Schlaggar CN, Martin NG, Nelson EC, Slutske WS, Whitfield JB, Lynskey MT. The genetics of addiction-a translational perspective. Transl Psychiatry 2012; 2:e140. [PMID: 22806211 PMCID: PMC3410620 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2012.54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2012] [Accepted: 05/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Addictions are serious and common psychiatric disorders, and are among the leading contributors to preventable death. This selective review outlines and highlights the need for a multi-method translational approach to genetic studies of these important conditions, including both licit (alcohol, nicotine) and illicit (cannabis, cocaine, opiates) drug addictions and the behavioral addiction of disordered gambling. First, we review existing knowledge from twin studies that indicates both the substantial heritability of substance-specific addictions and the genetic overlap across addiction to different substances. Next, we discuss the limited number of candidate genes which have shown consistent replication, and the implications of emerging genomewide association findings for the genetic architecture of addictions. Finally, we review the utility of extensions to existing methods such as novel phenotyping, including the use of endophenotypes, biomarkers and neuroimaging outcomes; emerging methods for identifying alternative sources of genetic variation and accompanying statistical methodologies to interpret them; the role of gene-environment interplay; and importantly, the potential role of genetic variation in suggesting new alternatives for treatment of addictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Agrawal
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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23
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Agrawal A, Freedman ND, Cheng YC, Lin P, Shaffer JR, Sun Q, Taylor K, Yaspan B, Cole JW, Cornelis MC, DeSensi RS, Fitzpatrick A, Heiss G, Kang JH, O'Connell J, Bennett S, Bookman E, Bucholz KK, Caporaso N, Crout R, Dick DM, Edenberg HJ, Goate A, Hesselbrock V, Kittner S, Kramer J, Nurnberger JI, Qi L, Rice JP, Schuckit M, van Dam RM, Boerwinkle E, Hu F, Levy S, Marazita M, Mitchell BD, Pasquale LR, Bierut LJ. Measuring alcohol consumption for genomic meta-analyses of alcohol intake: opportunities and challenges. Am J Clin Nutr 2012; 95:539-47. [PMID: 22301922 PMCID: PMC3278237 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.111.015545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2011] [Accepted: 12/21/2011] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Whereas moderate drinking may have health benefits, excessive alcohol consumption causes many important acute and chronic diseases and is the third leading contributor to preventable death in the United States. Twin studies suggest that alcohol-consumption patterns are heritable (50%); however, multiple genetic variants of modest effect size are likely to contribute to this heritable variation. Genome-wide association studies provide a tool for discovering genetic loci that contribute to variations in alcohol consumption. Opportunities exist to identify susceptibility loci with modest effect by meta-analyzing together multiple studies. However, existing studies assessed many different aspects of alcohol use, such as typical compared with heavy drinking, and these different assessments can be difficult to reconcile. In addition, many studies lack the ability to distinguish between lifetime and recent abstention or to assess the pattern of drinking during the week, and a variety of such concerns surround the appropriateness of developing a common summary measure of alcohol intake. Combining such measures of alcohol intake can cause heterogeneity and exposure misclassification, cause a reduction in power, and affect the magnitude of genetic association signals. In this review, we discuss the challenges associated with harmonizing alcohol-consumption data from studies with widely different assessment instruments, with a particular focus on large-scale genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpana Agrawal
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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24
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Lynskey MT, Nelson EC, Neuman RJ, Bucholz KK, Madden PAF, Knopik VS, Slutske W, Whitfield JB, Martin NG, Heath AC. Limitations of DSM-IV Operationalizations of Alcohol Abuse and Dependence in a Sample of Australian Twins. Twin Res Hum Genet 2012. [DOI: 10.1375/twin.8.6.574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAlcohol abuse and dependence are among the most common psychiatric conditions identified in epidemiological surveys of the general population. The aim of this article is to examine the psychometric properties of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) criteria for alcohol abuse and dependence using latent class analysis (LCA). Six thousand two hundred and sixty-five young Australian twins (median age 30 years) were interviewed by telephone between 1996 and 2000 using a modified version of the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA). DSM-IV symptoms of alcohol abuse and dependence were collected by structured diagnostic interview and analyzed using methods of LCA. LCA revealed a 4-class solution for women that classified individuals according to the severity of their alcohol- related problems: no/few problems (66.5%), heavy drinking (23.9%), moderate dependence (7.6%) and severe dependence (2.0%). Among men the preferred solution included 5 classes corresponding to no/few problems (46.4%), heavy drinking (34.3%), moderate dependence (12.2%), severe dependence (3.0%) and abuse (4.0%). Evidence of a male-specific class of alcohol-related problems corresponding to abuse partially supports the DSM conceptualization of alcohol use disorders but suggests that this conceptualization — and measurement — may need to be refined for women. Identification of a male- specific abuse class also has important implications for interventions and treatment as these individuals experienced significant alcohol-related problems and comprised approximately 21% of all men classified with an alcohol use disorder.
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25
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Agrawal A, Lynskey MT, Heath AC, Chassin L. Developing a genetically informative measure of alcohol consumption using past-12-month indices. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2011; 72:444-52. [PMID: 21513681 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2011.72.444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to develop a factor score derived from measures of past-12-month alcohol consumption. METHOD Data were drawn from two studies-the Adult and Family Development Project (N = 734) and the Missouri Adolescent Female Twin Study (N = 3,787). Data on four indices of alcohol consumption (quantity, frequency, frequency of drinking to intoxication, and frequency of five or more drinks/day) were factor analyzed, and differences in factor loadings across gender, race/ethnicity, and study were tested. Correlations between these factors were computed across three assessments and between parent and offspring self-reports. Finally, using the classical twin design, variance in the past-12-month alcohol consumption factor was decomposed into additive genetic (A), shared environmental (C), and nonshared environmental (E) influences, and the extent to which these factors overlap with those influencing lifetime heaviest drinking were examined. RESULTS Factor loadings across all groups were high (.69-.95), with some evidence for differing factor loadings across gender, race/ethnicity, and study. The across-wave correlations for the factor ranged from .22 to .62. The within-wave correlation between parental and offspring drinking was .25, suggesting the importance of familial influences, which genetic analyses attributed to both additive genetic (31%) and shared environmental (17%) factors. The overlap between genetic influences on past-12-month and lifetime heaviest drinking was 0.97. CONCLUSIONS A factor score derived from past-12-month drinking measures is heritable and is largely influenced by those genetic factors that influence heaviest drinking, at least in young adults. It also shows moderate across-wave stability. This will allow for large- and small-scale genomic studies to use past-12-month drinking measures in data analysis of similar cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpana Agrawal
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid, CB 8134, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
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26
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Singh AL, D'Onofrio BM, Slutske WS, Turkheimer E, Emery RE, Harden KP, Heath AC, Madden PAF, Statham DJ, Martin NG. Parental depression and offspring psychopathology: a children of twins study. Psychol Med 2011; 41:1385-1395. [PMID: 21054918 PMCID: PMC3119509 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291710002059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Associations between parental depression and offspring affective and disruptive disorders are well documented. Few genetically informed studies have explored the processes underlying intergenerational associations. METHOD A semi-structured interview assessing DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders was administered to twins (n=1296) from the Australian Twin Register (ATR), their spouses (n=1046) and offspring (n=2555). We used the Children of Twins (CoT) design to delineate the extent to which intergenerational associations were consistent with a causal influence or due to genetic confounds. RESULTS In between-family analyses, parental depression was associated significantly with offspring depression [hazard ratio (HR) 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20-1.93] and conduct disorder (CD; HR 2.27, CI 1.31-3.93). Survival analysis indicated that the intergenerational transmission of depression is consistent with a causal (environmental) inference, with a significant intergenerational association in offspring of discordant monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs (HR 1.39, CI 1.00-1.94). Logistic regression analysis suggested that the parental depression-offspring CD association was due to shared genetic liability in the parents and offspring. No intergenerational association was found when comparing the offspring of discordant MZ twins [odds ratio (OR) 1.41, CI 0.63-3.14], but offspring of discordant dizygotic (DZ) twins differed in their rates of CD (OR 2.53, CI 0.95-6.76). All findings remained after controlling for several measured covariates, including history of depression and CD in the twins' spouses. CONCLUSIONS The mechanisms underlying associations between parental depression and offspring psychopathology seem to differ depending on the outcome. The results are consistent with a causal environmental role of parental depression in offspring depression whereas common genetic factors account for the association of parental depression and offspring CD.
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Affiliation(s)
- A L Singh
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
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27
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Dick DM, Meyers JL, Rose RJ, Kaprio J, Kendler KS. Measures of current alcohol consumption and problems: two independent twin studies suggest a complex genetic architecture. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2011; 35:2152-61. [PMID: 21689117 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01564.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Twin studies demonstrate that measures of alcohol consumption (AC) show evidence of genetic influence, suggesting they may be useful in gene identification efforts. The extent to which these phenotypes will be informative in identifying susceptibility genes involved in alcohol dependence depends on the extent to which genetic influences are shared across measures of AC and alcohol problems. Previous studies have demonstrated that AC reported for the period of heaviest lifetime drinking shows a large degree of genetic overlap with alcohol dependence; however, many studies with genetic material assess current AC. Further, there are many different aspects of AC that can be assessed (e.g., frequency of use, quantity of use, and frequency of intoxication). METHODS Here, we use data from 2 large, independent, population-based twin samples, FinnTwin 16 and The Virginia Adult Twin Study of Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders, to examine the extent to which genetic influences are shared across many different measures of AC and alcohol problems. RESULTS Genetic correlations across current AC measures and alcohol problems were high across both samples. However, both samples suggest a complex genetic architecture with many different genetic factors influencing various aspects of current AC and problems. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that careful attention must be paid to the phenotype in efforts to "replicate" genetic effects across samples or combine samples for meta-analyses of genetic effects influencing susceptibility to alcohol-related outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Dick
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA.
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28
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Agrawal A, Freedman ND, Bierut LJ. Genome-wide association studies of alcohol intake--a promising cocktail? Am J Clin Nutr 2011; 93:681-3. [PMID: 21367945 PMCID: PMC3057543 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.111.012641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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29
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Agrawal A, Lynskey MT, Todorov AA, Schrage AJ, Littlefield AK, Grant JD, Zhu Q, Nelson EC, Madden PAF, Bucholz KK, Sher KJ, Heath AC. A candidate gene association study of alcohol consumption in young women. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2010; 35:550-8. [PMID: 21143251 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01372.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Excessive alcohol consumption contributes to significant morbidity and mortality. Heritable influences contribute to 50% of the variation in alcohol consumption, suggesting the important role of genes. We used data on a previously defined alcohol consumption factor score in a sample of 827 young women to investigate association with 1,014 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in genes related to addiction. METHODS Data were drawn from the Missouri Adolescent Female Twin Study (MOAFTS) with replication in the college drinking sample (CDS). Genotypic and phenotypic data were available on 827 MOAFTS and 100 CDS women of European-American ancestry. Data on 1,014 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across 130 genes related to addiction were utilized. Association was conducted in QTDT, which allows for identity-by-descent information to account accurately for twin status in the analysis. The total association variance components model was used, with specification of variance components for relatedness in MOAFTS. RESULTS The top signals included clusters of SNPs in tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) (e.g., rs1386496, p = 0.0003) and dopa decarboxylase (DDC) (e.g., rs3779084, p = 0.0008), genes that encode proteins responsible for serotonin synthesis. Additional polymorphisms in ADH1B, ADH1C, ADH7, and ADH1A1 were also associated at p < 0.05. The false discovery rate for the top signal (p = 0.0003) was 0.15, suggesting nominal significance only. Replication was limited and noted for 2 SNPs in ADH1C. CONCLUSIONS While no results survive the burden of multiple testing, nominal findings in TPH2 and DDC suggest the potential role of the serotonin synthesis pathway in alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpana Agrawal
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
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Ho MK, Goldman D, Heinz A, Kaprio J, Kreek MJ, Li MD, Munafò MR, Tyndale RF. Breaking barriers in the genomics and pharmacogenetics of drug addiction. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2010; 88:779-91. [PMID: 20981002 PMCID: PMC3738009 DOI: 10.1038/clpt.2010.175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Drug addiction remains a substantial health issue with limited treatment options currently available. Despite considerable advances in the understanding of human genetic architecture, the genetic underpinning of complex disorders remains elusive. On the basis of our current understanding of neurobiology, numerous candidate genes have been implicated in the etiology and response to treatment for different addictions. Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have also identified novel targets. However, replication of these studies is often lacking, and this complicates interpretation. The situation is expected to improve as issues such as phenotypic characterization, the apparent "missing heritability," the identification of functional variants, and possible gene-environment (G × E) interactions are addressed. In addition, there is growing evidence that genetic information can be useful in refining the choice of addiction treatment. As genetic testing becomes more common in the practice of medicine, a variety of ethical and practical challenges, some of which are unique to drug addiction, will also need to be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Ho
- Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Anderson CM, Rabi K, Lukas SE, Teicher MH. Cerebellar lingula size and experiential risk factors associated with high levels of alcohol and drug use in young adults. THE CEREBELLUM 2010; 9:198-209. [PMID: 19859774 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-009-0141-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have reported cerebellar abnormalities or static ataxia associated with risk for chronic use of alcohol and drugs. Adverse childhood experience is another strong risk factor for later substance abuse. We therefore sought to ascertain the relationship between morphological phenotypes of the lingula (lobule I) of the anterior cerebellar vermis, and exposure to emotional (EM) versus physical (PM) maltreatment, on the degree of ongoing alcohol or drug use. The study design consisted of a cross-sectional in vivo neuroimaging study, utilizing retrospective assessment of maltreatment history and self-reports of alcohol and substance use. Study participants were 153 subjects (54 M/99F, 21.9 +/- 2.2 years) selected for imaging from a database of 1,402 community participants 18-25 years of age, who completed a detailed online screening instrument and met rigorous inclusion/exclusion criteria. Subjects were exposed to only physical abuse or harsh corporal punishment (HCP; PM group, n = 37) and parental verbal abuse and/or witnessing domestic violence (EM group, n = 58) or had no history of maltreatment or axis I disorders (n = 58). The main outcome measures consisted of the gray matter volume of lobule I as measured by manual tracing, number and type of alcoholic beverages consumed during a drinking session, number of sessions per month, and monthly drug use, along with family history of drug and alcohol abuse. Lingula thickness was not attenuated by alcohol use or maltreatment history. However, increased lingula thickness was associated with greater consumption of drugs and hard liquor, particularly in physically maltreated subjects who consumed 2.5- and 2.7-fold more alcohol and used drugs 6.1- and 7.8-fold more frequently than controls or EM subjects, respectively. In conclusion, physical maltreatment was observed to interact with cerebellar morphology resulting in a strong association with alcohol and substance use. Lingula thickness may represent a novel, experientially sensitive, phenotypic risk factor for enhanced alcohol and drug use that perhaps modulates sensitivity to these agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl M Anderson
- The NeuroImaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA.
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Button TMM, Hewitt JK, Rhee SH, Corley RP, Stallings MC. The moderating effect of religiosity on the genetic variance of problem alcohol use. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2010; 34:1619-24. [PMID: 20569244 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01247.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have demonstrated that the heritability of alcohol-related phenotypes depends upon the social background in which it is measured (e.g., urbanicity, marital status, and religiosity). The aim of the current study was to identify whether religiosity moderated the genetic variance of problem alcohol use in men and women at two time points: adolescence and early adulthood. METHOD Participants were 312 male MZ pairs, 379 female MZ pairs, 231 male DZ pairs, 235 female DZ pairs, and 275 opposite sex DZ pairs participating in the University of Colorado Center on Antisocial Drug Dependence. Religiosity was measured using the Value on Religion Scale (Jessor and Jessor, 1977), and problem alcohol use was measured using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Substance Abuse Module (Cottler et al., 1989). Data were analyzed using a model-fitting approach to the twin data. RESULTS In adolescence, genetic variance of problem alcohol use decreased significantly with increasing levels of religiosity in both men and women, whereas in early adulthood, religiosity did not moderate the genetic variance of problem alcohol use in either men or women. CONCLUSION Religiosity appears to moderate the genetic effects on problem alcohol use during adolescence, but not during early adulthood. The reduced genetic variance for problem alcohol use in adolescence may be the consequence of greater social control in adolescence than in young adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya M M Button
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0447, USA.
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Medland SE, Loehlin JC, Willemsen G, Hatemi PK, Keller MC, Boomsma DI, Eaves LJ, Martin NG. Males do not reduce the fitness of their female co-twins in contemporary samples. Twin Res Hum Genet 2009; 11:481-7. [PMID: 18828730 DOI: 10.1375/twin.11.5.481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Lummaa et al. (2007) presented historical data collected from twins born in Finland between 1734 and 1888 which suggested that females (N = 31) born as part of an opposite sex (OS) twin pair were 25% less likely to reproduce than female twins (N = 35) born as part of a same sex (SS) pair. They hypothesized that this reduction in fitness was due to masculinization of the female fetus via prenatal effects of the hormones of a male fetus. Because such masculinization would presumably take place in modern populations as well, it would seem important to establish to what degree it does so, and if so, whether reproduction is affected. We therefore address the question of reproduction differences in individual female twins from same-sex (N = 1979) and opposite-sex (N = 913) dizygotic pairs in studies carried out in Australia, the Netherlands, and the United States. In all three samples, there were no differences in the number of children or age of first pregnancies in women from same sex pairs compared to those from opposite sex pairs. Similarly, there were no differences in psychological femininity between women from pairs of the same or opposite sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Medland
- Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Australia.
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Hansell NK, Agrawal A, Whitfield JB, Morley KI, Gordon SD, Lind PA, Pergadia ML, Montgomery GW, Madden PAF, Todd RD, Heath AC, Martin NG. Can we identify genes for alcohol consumption in samples ascertained for heterogeneous purposes? Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2009; 33:729-39. [PMID: 19183129 PMCID: PMC3164813 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2008.00890.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have identified evidence of genetic influence on alcohol use in samples selected to be informative for alcoholism research. However, there are a growing number of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using samples unselected for alcohol consumption (i.e., selected on other traits and forms of psychopathology), which nevertheless assess consumption as a risk factor. Is it reasonable to expect that genes contributing to variation in alcohol consumption can be identified in such samples? METHODS An exploratory approach was taken to determine whether linkage analyses for heaviness of alcohol consumption, using a sample collected for heterogeneous purposes, could replicate previous findings. Quantity and frequency measures of consumption were collected in telephone interviews from community samples. These measures, and genotyping, were available for 5,441 individuals (5,067 quasi-independent sibling pairs). For 1,533 of these individuals, data were collected on 2 occasions, about 8.2 years apart, providing 2 datasets that maximize data collected at either a younger or an older age. Analyses were conducted to address the question of whether age and heavier levels of alcohol consumption effects outcome. Linkage results were compared in the younger and older full samples, and with samples in which approximately 10, 20, and 40 of drinkers from the lower end of the distribution of alcohol consumption were dropped. RESULTS Linkage peaks varied for the age differentiated samples and for percentage of light drinkers retained. Larger peaks (LOD scores >2.0) were typically found in regions previously identified in linkage studies and/or containing proposed candidate genes for alcoholism including AGT, CARTPT, OPRD1, PIK3R1, and PDYN. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that GWAS assessing alcohol consumption as a covariate for other conditions will have some success in identifying genes contributing to consumption-related variation. However, sample characteristics, such as participant age, and trait distribution, may have substantial effects on the strength of the genetic signal. These results can inform forthcoming GWAS where the same restrictions apply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narelle K Hansell
- Genetic Epidemiology, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
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Longitudinal stability and change in consumption among female twins: Contributions of genetics. Dev Psychopathol 2009. [DOI: 10.1017/s095457940000746x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractProblem alcohol use among women is increasingly recognized as an important public health and mental health issue. Younger women appear to be at increased risk for heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems compared to women from earlier cohorts. Understanding the sources for inter- and intra-individual differences in alcohol consumption is an important first step in addressing these trends. We studied the sources underlying variation in alcohol consumption in a sample of 2,163 female twins born in Virginia between 1934 and 1970. Measures of past-year alcohol consumption quantity and frequency were obtained on two occasions across a 5-year interval. Quantity and frequency of consumption declined over age, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Intra-individual correlations over the interval were substantial for frequency of drinking (r = .62) and quantity consumed per drinking occasion (r = .56) but lower for quantity consumed weekly (r = .22). There was significant intrapair resemblance for all measures, with the drinking behavior of identical twin pairs being more similar than that of fraternal pairs. Twin analyses of patterns of change in consumption over a 5-year interval revealed little within-pair similarity in rate of change, with correlations ranging from .06 to .18, suggesting that among young adult to middle-aged women, determinants of changing alcohol consumption are largely individual-specific. There was some evidence for significant age interactions, with the role of individual-specific sources increasing over age.
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Agrawal A, Morley KI, Hansell NK, Pergadia ML, Montgomery GW, Statham DJ, Todd RD, Madden PAF, Heath AC, Whitfield J, Martin NG, Lynskey MT. Autosomal linkage analysis for cannabis use behaviors in Australian adults. Drug Alcohol Depend 2008; 98:185-90. [PMID: 18606503 PMCID: PMC2584346 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2008.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2007] [Revised: 04/15/2008] [Accepted: 05/18/2008] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in developed and in developing nations. Twin studies have highlighted the role of genetic influences on early stages of cannabis use, such as a lifetime history of use, early-onset use and frequent use, however, we are not aware of any genomic studies that have examined these phenotypes. Using data on 2314 families consisting of 5600 adult Australian offspring and their parents, all of whom were scanned using 1399 unique autosomal markers, we conducted autosomal linkage analyses for lifetime history of cannabis initiation, early-onset cannabis use and frequency of use, using a variance components approach in the linkage package MERLIN. Suggestive evidence for linkage was found on chromosome 18 (LOD 2.14 for frequency of use, LOD 1.97 for initiation, at 90-97 cM) and also on chromosome 19 (LOD 1.92 for early-onset at 17 cM). These LOD scores did not meet genome-wide significance. Further replication of these linkage regions in other samples will be required, although these initial results suggest further targeted efforts on chromosome 18 may yield interesting candidate genes for early stages of cannabis-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpana Agrawal
- Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.
| | | | | | - Michele L. Pergadia
- Washington University School of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry, St. Louis, MO 63108
| | | | | | - Richard D. Todd
- Washington University School of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry, St. Louis, MO 63108
| | - Pamela A. F. Madden
- Washington University School of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry, St. Louis, MO 63108
| | - Andrew C. Heath
- Washington University School of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry, St. Louis, MO 63108
| | - John Whitfield
- Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Michael T. Lynskey
- Washington University School of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry, St. Louis, MO 63108
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Hansell NK, Agrawal A, Whitfield JB, Morley KI, Zhu G, Lind PA, Pergadia ML, Madden PAF, Todd RD, Heath AC, Martin NG. Long-term stability and heritability of telephone interview measures of alcohol consumption and dependence. Twin Res Hum Genet 2008; 11:287-305. [PMID: 18498207 DOI: 10.1375/twin.11.3.287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol dependence symptoms and consumption measures were examined for stability and heritability. Data were collected from 12,045 individuals (5376 twin pairs, 1293 single twins) aged 19 to 90 years in telephone interviews conducted in three collection phases. Phases 1 and 2 were independent samples, but Phase 3 targeted families of smokers and drinkers from the Phase 1 and 2 samples. The stability of dependence symptoms and consumption was examined for 1158 individuals interviewed in both Phases 1 and 3 (mean interval = 11.0 years). For 1818 individuals interviewed in Phases 2 and 3 (mean interval = 5.5 years) the stability of consumption was examined. Heritability was examined for each collection phase and retest samples from the selected Phase 3 collection. The measures examined were a dependence score, based on DSM-IIIR and DSM-IV criteria for substance dependence, and a quantity x frequency measure. Measures were moderately stable, with test-retest correlations ranging from .58 to .61 for dependence and from .55 to .64 for consumption. However, the pattern of changes over time for dependence suggested that the measure may more strongly reflect recent than lifetime experience. Similar to previous findings, heritabilities ranged from .42 to .51 for dependence and from .31 to .51 for consumption. Consumption was significantly less heritable in the younger Phase 2 cohort (23-39 years) compared to the older Phase 1 cohort (28-90 years).
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Affiliation(s)
- Narelle K Hansell
- Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Post Office Royal Brisbane Hospital, Queensland, 4029, Australia.
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Agrawal A, Lynskey MT. Are there genetic influences on addiction: evidence from family, adoption and twin studies. Addiction 2008; 103:1069-81. [PMID: 18494843 DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02213.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 249] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
AIMS In this exciting era of gene discovery, we review evidence from family, adoption and twin studies that examine the genetic basis for addiction. With a focus on the classical twin design that utilizes data on monozygotic and dizygotic twins, we discuss support in favor of heritable influences on alcohol, nicotine, cannabis and other illicit drug dependence. METHODS We review whether these genetic factors also influence earlier stages (e.g. experimentation) of the addictive process and whether there are genetic influences specific to each psychoactive substance. RESULTS Converging evidence from these studies supports the role of moderate to high genetic influences on addiction with estimates ranging from 0.30 to 0.70. The changing role of these heritable factors as a function of gender, age and cultural characteristics is also discussed. We highlight the importance of the interplay between genes and the environment as it relates to risk for addiction and the utility of the children-of-twins design for emerging studies of gene-environment interaction is presented. CONCLUSIONS Despite the advances being made by low-cost high-throughput whole genome association assays, we posit that information garnered from twin studies, especially extended twin designs with power to examine gene-environment interactions, will continue to form the foundation for genomic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpana Agrawal
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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Gene-environment interactions reexamined: does mother's marital stability interact with the dopamine receptor D2 gene in the etiology of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder? Dev Psychopathol 2008; 19:1117-28. [PMID: 17931438 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579407000570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Potential candidate Gene x Environment interactions in the etiology of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are examined between the dopamine receptor D2 gene (DRD2) and putative family environmental risk factors that reflect mothers' marital stability. Specifically, interactions were tested between DRD2 and mothers' marital status, number of marriages or cohabiting relationships, and age at first marriage. Moderate relations were found among the marital stability measures, and mother's marital status and number of marriages or cohabiting relationships (but not age at first marriage) were risk factors for their children's ADHD. All three mother's marital stability variables were associated with either the child's or mother's DRD2 genotypes. Gene x Environment interactions were found for children's ADHD diagnoses between children's DRD2 genotypes and mother's marital status and number of marriages or cohabiting relationships. It is of interest that these interactions were strengthened with the progressive addition of sets of covariates intended to control for alternative causal pathways that represent background genetic and environmental context confounds. The present findings highlight the importance of considering both the nexus of putative environmental risk factors and whether their etiology and effects are truly environmental in future Gene x Environment interaction research.
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Harden KP, Lynch SK, Turkheimer E, Emery RE, D'Onofrio BM, Slutske WS, Waldron MD, Statham DJ, Martin NG. A behavior genetic investigation of adolescent motherhood and offspring mental health problems. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 2007; 116:667-83. [PMID: 18020715 PMCID: PMC2903734 DOI: 10.1037/0021-843x.116.4.667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The present study examines the relations between adolescent motherhood and children's behavior, substance use, and internalizing problems in a sample of 1,368 children of 712 female twins from Australia. Adolescent motherhood remained significantly associated with all mental health problems, even when using a quasiexperimental design capable of controlling for genetic and environmental confounds. However, the relation between adolescent motherhood and offspring behavior problems and substance use was partially confounded by family background variables that influence both generations. The results are consistent with a causal relation between adolescent motherhood and offspring mental health problems, and they highlight the usefulness of behavior genetic designs when examining putative environmental risks for the development of psychopathology. The generalizability of these results to the United States, which has a higher adolescent birth rate, is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Paige Harden
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesvile, VA 29904-4400, USA.
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Morley KI, Lynskey MT, Madden PAF, Treloar SA, Heath AC, Martin NG. Exploring the inter-relationship of smoking age-at-onset, cigarette consumption and smoking persistence: genes or environment? Psychol Med 2007; 37:1357-1367. [PMID: 17466111 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291707000748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We investigated the genetic and environmental contributions to covariation between smoking age-at-onset, cigarette consumption and smoking persistence. METHOD Multivariate biometrical modelling methods were applied to questionnaire data from Australian twins and their siblings (14 472 individuals from 6247 families). The contributions of genetic and environmental factors to covariation between the three traits were estimated, allowing for sex differences in both trait prevalence and the magnitude of genetic and environmental effects. RESULTS All traits were moderately heritable in males and females (estimates between 0.40 and 0.62), but there were sex differences in the extent to which additive genetic influences were shared across traits. Twin-specific environmental factors accounted for a substantial proportion of the variance in smoking age-at-onset in females (0.19) and males (0.12), but had little influence (<0.08) on other traits. Unique environmental factors were estimated to have a moderate influence on smoking age-at-onset (0.17 for females, 0.19 for males), but a stronger influence on other traits (between 0.39 and 0.49). CONCLUSIONS These results provide some insight into observed sex differences in smoking behaviour, and suggest that searching for pleiotropic genes may prove fruitful. However, further work on phenotypic definitions of smoking behaviour, particularly persistence, is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine I Morley
- Genetic Epidemiology Group, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Queensland, Australia.
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D’Onofrio BM, Turkheimer E, Emery RE, Harden KP, Slutske WS, Heath AC, Madden PAF, Martin NG. A Genetically Informed Study of the Intergenerational Transmission of Marital Instability. JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 2007; 69:793-809. [PMID: 20640183 PMCID: PMC2904988 DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00406.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Environmental or genetic influences, or both could account for the increased risk of divorce among the offspring of separated parents. Previous studies have used covariates to statistically control for confounds, but the present research is the first genetically informed study of the topic. The investigation used the Children of Twins Design with twins, their spouses, and their young adult offspring (n = 2,310) from the Australian Twin Registry to test whether selection on the basis of genetic or shared environment factors accounted for part of the inter-generational association. The analyses also controlled for measured characteristics of both parents. The results suggest that both environmentally mediated and genetic risk account for the intergenerational transmission, supporting the roles of both selection and causation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian M. D’Onofrio
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E, 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405
| | - Eric Turkheimer
- The Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA 22904
| | - Robert E. Emery
- The Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA 22904
| | - K. Paige Harden
- The Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA 22904
| | - Wendy S. Slutske
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, 210 McAlester Hall, Columbia, MO 65211
| | - Andrew C. Heath
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8134, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Pamela A. F. Madden
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8134, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Nicholas G. Martin
- Royal Brisbane Hospital Post Office, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, 300 Herston Road, Q 4029, Brisbane, Australia
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Sartor CE, Lynskey MT, Bucholz KK, McCutcheon VV, Nelson EC, Waldron M, Heath AC. Childhood sexual abuse and the course of alcohol dependence development: findings from a female twin sample. Drug Alcohol Depend 2007; 89:139-44. [PMID: 17227698 PMCID: PMC1950724 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2006.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2006] [Revised: 12/08/2006] [Accepted: 12/13/2006] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has been associated with increased risk for alcohol dependence (AD), but the extent to which CSA history may impact transitions in the course of AD development remains unclear. The current study examined the role of CSA in initiation of alcohol use and rate of progression from first drink to AD using a sample of 3536 female twins (mean age=21.6 years). Psychiatric diagnoses and alcohol use histories were obtained via telephone interviews using an adaptation of the SSAGA. The contribution of CSA to alcohol outcomes independent of familial influences was estimated by using co-twin AD status to adjust for familial liability to AD. CSA was associated with higher rates of both lifetime alcohol use and AD, but CSA-associated risk for consumption of first alcoholic drink was evident only at ages 12 and 13. Rate of transition from first alcohol use to AD did not differ by CSA status. Findings indicate that CSA and elevated risk for AD may be linked via early age at first drink and that progression from first drink to AD follows a similar course among women with and without histories of CSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn E Sartor
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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D'Onofrio BM, Slutske WS, Turkheimer E, Emery RE, Harden KP, Heath AC, Madden PAF, Martin NG. Intergenerational transmission of childhood conduct problems: a Children of Twins Study. ARCHIVES OF GENERAL PSYCHIATRY 2007; 64:820-9. [PMID: 17606816 PMCID: PMC2965630 DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.64.7.820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT The familial nature of childhood conduct problems has been well documented, but few genetically informed studies have explicitly explored the processes through which parental conduct problems influence an offspring's behavior problems. OBJECTIVE To delineate the genetic and environmental processes underlying the intergenerational transmission of childhood conduct problems. DESIGN We used hierarchical linear models to analyze data from a Children of Twins Study, a quasiexperimental design, to explore the extent to which genetic factors common to both generations, unmeasured environmental factors that are shared by twins, or measured characteristics of both parents confound the intergenerational association. SETTING Participants were recruited from the community and completed a semistructured diagnostic telephone interview. PARTICIPANTS The research used a high-risk sample of twins, their spouses, and their young adult offspring (n = 2554) from 889 twin families in the Australian Twin Registry, but the analyses used sample weights to produce parameter estimates for the community-based volunteer sample of twins. Main Outcome Measure Number of conduct disorder symptoms. RESULTS The magnitude of the intergenerational transmission was significant for all offspring, though it was stronger for males (effect size [Cohen d] = 0.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.15-0.17) than females (d = 0.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.14). The use of the Children of Twins design and measured covariates indicated that the intergenerational transmission of conduct problems for male offspring was largely mediated by environmental variables specifically related to parental conduct disorder (d = 0.13; 95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.23). In contrast, the intergenerational transmission of conduct problems was not because of environmentally mediated causal processes for female offspring (d = - 0.09; 95% confidence interval, - 0.20 to 0.03); a common genetic liability accounted for the intergenerational relations. CONCLUSIONS The mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of conduct problems depend on the sex of the offspring. The results are consistent with an environmentally mediated causal role of parental conduct problems on behavior problems in males. Common genetic risk, however, confounds the entire intergenerational transmission in female offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian M D'Onofrio
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E 10th St, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
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Grant JD, Heath AC, Bucholz KK, Madden PAF, Agrawal A, Statham DJ, Martin NG. Spousal concordance for alcohol dependence: evidence for assortative mating or spousal interaction effects? Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2007; 31:717-28. [PMID: 17378921 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00356.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol dependence (AD) is among the most common psychiatric disorders, and impacts the health and well-being of problem drinkers, their family members, and society as a whole. Although previous research has consistently indicated that genetic factors contribute to variance in risk for AD, little attention has been paid to nonrandom mating for AD. When assortative mating occurs for a heritable trait, spouses are genetically correlated and offspring are at increased risk of receiving high-risk genes from both parents. The primary goal of the present analyses is to test hypotheses about the source(s) and magnitude of spousal associations for AD using a twin-spouse design. METHODS DSM-IV AD (without the clustering criterion) was assessed via telephone interview for 5,974 twin members of an older cohort of the Australian Twin Register (born 1902-1964) and 3,814 spouses of the twins. Quantitative genetic modeling was used to determine the extent to which variability in risk for AD was influenced by genetic factors, the extent of spousal association for AD, and whether the association was attributable to assortative mating, reciprocal spousal interaction, or both processes. RESULTS Genetic factors explained 49% of the variance in risk for AD. There was no evidence of gender differences in the spousal interaction effect, the degree of rater bias, or the association between the twin's report of spouse AD and the spouse's AD phenotype. Either the assortative mating parameter or the spousal interaction parameter could be removed from the model without a significant decrement in fit, but both could not be dropped simultaneously, suggesting a lack of power to differentiate between these 2 causes of spousal correlation. When both effects were included in the model, the spousal correlation was 0.29, the assortative mating coefficient was 0.45 (i.e., "like marries like"), and the reciprocal spousal interaction coefficient was -0.10 (i.e., after controlling for assortative mating, the additional impact of spousal interactions is slightly protective). CONCLUSIONS These analyses provide evidence of significant spousal associations for AD, with assortative mating increasing spouse similarity and spousal interaction effects decreasing it after controlling for assortative mating. Although the genetic impact is modest, assortative mating results in an increased proportion of offspring exposed to 2 alcoholic parents and the associated detrimental environmental sequelae, and increases the likelihood of offspring inheriting high-risk genes from both parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia D Grant
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
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Mendle J, Turkheimer E, D'Onofrio BM, Lynch SK, Emery RE, Slutske WS, Martin NG. Family structure and age at menarche: a children-of-twins approach. Dev Psychol 2006; 42:533-42. [PMID: 16756443 PMCID: PMC2964498 DOI: 10.1037/0012-1649.42.3.533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Girls who grow up in households with an unrelated adult male reach menarche earlier than peers, a finding hypothesized to be an evolutionary strategy for families under stress. The authors tested the alternative hypothesis that nonrandom selection into stepfathering due to shared environmental and/or genetic predispositions creates a spurious relation between stepfathering and early menarche. Using the unique controls for genetic and shared environmental experiences offered by the children-of-twins design, the authors found that cousins discordant for stepfathering did not differ in age of menarche. Moreover, controlling for mother's age of menarche eliminated differences in menarcheal age associated with stepfathering in unrelated girls. These findings strongly suggest selection, and not causation, accounts for the relationship between stepfathering and early menarche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Mendle
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22902, USA.
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D'Onofrio BM, Turkheimer E, Emery RE, Slutske WS, Heath AC, Madden PA, Martin NG. A genetically informed study of the processes underlying the association between parental marital instability and offspring adjustment. Dev Psychol 2006; 42:486-99. [PMID: 16756440 PMCID: PMC2965635 DOI: 10.1037/0012-1649.42.3.486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Parental divorce is associated with problematic offspring adjustment, but the relation may be due to shared genetic or environmental factors. One way to test for these confounds is to study offspring of twins discordant for divorce. The current analyses used this design to separate the mechanisms responsible for the association between parental divorce, experienced either before or after the age of 16, and offspring well-being. The results were consistent with a causal role of divorce in earlier initiation of sexual intercourse and emotional difficulties, in addition to a greater probability of educational problems, depressed mood, and suicidal ideation. In contrast, the increased risk for cohabitation and earlier initiation of drug use was explained by selection factors, including genetic confounds. ((c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).
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Dickson PA, James MR, Heath AC, Montgomery GW, Martin NG, Whitfield JB, Birley AJ. Effects of variation at the ALDH2 locus on alcohol metabolism, sensitivity, consumption, and dependence in Europeans. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2006; 30:1093-100. [PMID: 16792555 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00128.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The low-activity variant of the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) gene found in East Asian populations leads to the alcohol flush reaction and reduces alcohol consumption and risk of alcohol dependence (AD). We have tested whether other polymorphisms in the ALDH2 gene have similar effects in people of European ancestry. METHODS Serial measurements of blood and breath alcohol, subjective intoxication, body sway, skin temperature, blood pressure, and pulse were obtained in 412 twins who took part in an alcohol challenge study. Participants provided data on alcohol reactions, alcohol consumption, and symptoms related to AD at the time of the study and subsequently. Haplotypes based on 5 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used in tests of the effects of variation in the ALDH2 gene on alcohol metabolism and alcohol's effects. RESULTS The typed SNPs were in strong linkage disequilibrium and 2 complementary haplotypes comprised 83% of those observed. Significant effects of ALDH2 haplotype were observed for breath alcohol concentration, with similar but smaller and nonsignificant effects on blood alcohol. Haplotype-related variation in responses to alcohol, and reported alcohol consumption, was small and not consistently in the direction predicted by the effects on alcohol concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Genetic variation in ALDH2 affects alcohol metabolism in Europeans. However, the data do not support the hypothesis that this leads to effects on alcohol sensitivity, consumption, or risk of dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Dickson
- Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia
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Wilhelmsen KC, Swan GE, Cheng LSC, Lessov-Schlaggar CN, Amos CI, Feiler HS, Hudmon KS, Ring HZ, Andrews JA, Tildesley E, Benowitz NL, Hops H. Support for Previously Identified Alcoholism Susceptibility Loci in a Cohort Selected for Smoking Behavior. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2006; 29:2108-15. [PMID: 16385180 DOI: 10.1097/01.alc.0000191773.68675.71] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption and alcoholism are heritable traits. Previous linkage analyses for alcoholism and related traits have identified several putative susceptibility loci. In this paper we use, for the first time, linkage analysis to search for alcoholism-related phenotypes in a family sample selected for smoking behavior. METHODS Genome-wide model free linkage analysis was conducted for a variety of phenotypes related to alcohol consumption in 158 nuclear families ascertained for having at least two first-degree relatives who smoked 100 or more cigarettes in their lifetime. The phenotypes included dichotomous, ordinal, and continuous traits. Because the traits were typically not normally distributed the QTL score statistic as implemented in Merlin was employed to deal with deviations from normality. Simulation analysis determined that the QTL score statistic is robust to deviations from normality. RESULTS Linkage analysis detected three loci, one on chromosome 2 and two on chromosome 4, with nominal significance (LOD score > 2.7). These loci appear to be in close proximity to loci reported in other studies. CONCLUSIONS While these findings did not reach genome-wide significance (LOD >4.0 given multiple comparisons) we have confidence that genes in these regions affect alcohol consumption. Two of the three significant findings in this analysis have been reported previously as alcoholism susceptibility loci. Simulation analysis shows that the most widely replicated finding on chromosome 4 is strongly supported (p=0.01) even with correction for multiple comparisons. These findings suggest that previously reported linkage results are robust to the effects of different approaches to sample ascertainment and definition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirk C Wilhelmsen
- Department of Neurology, Gallo Institute, Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, California, USA.
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Lorenz JG, Long JC, Linnoila M, Goldman D, Suomi SJ, Higley JD. Genetic and Other Contributions to Alcohol Intake in Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta). Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2006; 30:389-98. [PMID: 16499479 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00044.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The etiology of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, like many other complex diseases, is heterogeneous and multifactorial. Numerous studies demonstrate a genetic contribution to variation in the expression of alcohol-related disorders in humans. Over the past decade, nonhuman primates have emerged as a valuable model for some aspects of human alcohol abuse because of their phylogenetic proximity to humans. Long-term, longitudinal studies of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) have provided much insight into environmental influences, especially early life experiences, on alcohol consumption and behavior patterns that characterize alcohol intake later in life. It is not known, however, whether there is a genetic component as well to the variation seen in alcohol consumption in rhesus macaques. A significant genetic component to variation in alcohol consumption in rhesus macaques would show for the first time that like humans, for nonhuman primates additive genetic influences are important. Moreover, their use as a model for alcohol-related disorders in humans would have even greater relevance and utility for designing experiments incorporating the expanding molecular genetics field, and allow researchers to investigate the interaction among the known environmental influences and various genotypes. METHODS In this study, we investigate factors contributing to variation in alcohol consumption of 156 rhesus macaques collected over 10 years when subjects were adolescent in age, belonging to a single extended pedigree, with each cohort receiving identical early rearing backgrounds and subsequent treatments. To measure alcohol consumption each animal was provided unfettered simultaneous access both to an aspartame-sweetened 8.4% (v/v) alcohol-water solution, the aspartame-sweetened vehicle, and to water for 1 hour each day during the early afternoon between 13:00 and 15:00 in their home cages for a period of 5 to 7 weeks. We use multiple regression to identify factors that significantly affect alcohol consumption among these animals and a maximum likelihood program (ASReml) that, controlling for the significant factors, estimates the genetic contribution to the variance in alcohol consumption. RESULTS Multiple regression analysis identified test cohort and rearing environment as contributing to 57 and 2%, respectively, of the total variance in alcohol consumption. Of the remaining 41% of the variance about half (19.8%) was attributable to additive genetic effects using a maximum likelihood program. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that, as in humans, there are additive genetic factors that contribute to variation in alcohol consumption in rhesus macaques, with other nongenetic factors accounting for substantial portions of the variance in alcohol consumption, Our findings show the presence of an additive genetic component and suggest the potential utility of the nonhuman primate as a molecular genetics tool for understanding alcohol abuse and alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph G Lorenz
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, New Jersey 08103, USA.
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