Molecular Effect of Variants in Serotonin Transporter Gene in Women with Alcohol Use Disorder
The dysregulation of the serotonin system has been implicated in the pathophysiology of alcohol use disorders. Meta-analytic evidence suggests a significant correlation between genetic variation in the serotonin transporter gene and the risk of alcohol dependence. Hence, we aimed to analyse the asso...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Cells |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/10/699 |
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| Summary: | The dysregulation of the serotonin system has been implicated in the pathophysiology of alcohol use disorders. Meta-analytic evidence suggests a significant correlation between genetic variation in the serotonin transporter gene and the risk of alcohol dependence. Hence, we aimed to analyse the association between <i>5-HTTLPR</i> polymorphism and alcohol use disorder in a group of women and to perform an interaction analysis of <i>5-HTTLPR</i> variants, personality traits, and AUD. The study group comprised 213 female volunteers; 101 were diagnosed with alcohol addiction, and 112 were not dependent on any substance or behaviour. The <i>5-HTTLPR</i> variants were identified by PCR, and the resulting products were separated electrophoretically. When comparing the AUD group with the controls, we observed significant differences in the distribution of <i>5-HTTLPR</i> genotypes (<i>p</i> = 0.0230) and alleles (<i>p</i> = 0.0046). We also observed a significant impact of the <i>5-HTTLPR</i> genotype (<i>p</i> = 0.0001) on the Neuroticism and Extraversion (<i>p</i> = 0.0037) scales. Additionally, there was a statistically significant impact of <i>5-HTTLPR</i> genotype interaction and alcohol dependency or lack of it on the Neuroticism scale (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). The observed interaction suggests that the effect of the <i>5-HTTLPR</i> on neuroticism may be exacerbated or attenuated in the presence of alcohol addiction. Further investigation is needed to elucidate the precise nature of this interaction. Still, it potentially indicates a gene–environment interaction where the genetic predisposition conferred by the <i>5-HTTLPR</i> polymorphism interacts with the environmental stressor of alcohol dependence to influence neuroticism. |
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| ISSN: | 2073-4409 |