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No association between polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene and susceptibility to cocaine dependence among African-American individuals

Item Type:Article
Title:No association between polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene and susceptibility to cocaine dependence among African-American individuals
Creators Name:Patkar, A.A., Berrettini, W.H., Hoehe, M., Hill, K.P., Gottheil, E., Thornton, C.C. and Weinstein, S.P.
Abstract:Genetic research of cocaine abuse has been relatively limited among the African-American population. Since the serotonin transporter (5HTT) may be involved in modulating effects of cocaine, we investigated whether allelic variants of the 5HTT gene may confer susceptibility to cocaine dependence among African-American individuals. One hundred and fifty-six cocaine-dependent subjects and 82 controls were studied. Polymerase chain reaction-based genotyping of a variable-number-tandem-repeat (VNTR) marker yielded three alleles designated 12, 10 and 9. Genotype and allele frequencies were compared using chi-square analyses. We found no differences between subjects and controls with respect to genotype distribution (cocaine: 12/12 = 50%, 10/12 = 35.3%, 10/10 = 13.5%, 9/12 = 1.3%; controls: 12/12 = 42.7%, 10/12 = 39.0%, 10/10 = 17.1%, 9/12 = 1.2%). Similarly, allele frequencies of the VNTR marker did not differ between the two groups (cocaine: 12 = 68.3%, 10 = 31.1%, 9 = 0.6%; controls: 12 = 62.8%, 10 = 36.6%, 9 = 0.6%). Our findings do not seem to support a relationship between VNTR polymorphisms and cocaine dependence among African-American patients. Further studies involving larger samples are required to confirm our results.
Keywords:Cocaine Dependence, Serotonin Transporter, Gene, Polymorphisms, African-American, Variable Number Tandem Repeat
Source:Psychiatric Genetics
ISSN:0955-8829
Publisher:Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Volume:12
Number:3
Page Range:161-164
Date:September 2002
Official Publication:http://www.psychgenetics.com/pt/re/psychgen/abstract.00041444-200209000-00007.htm
PubMed:View item in PubMed

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