DRD3 variation associates with early-onset heroin dependence, but not specific personality traits

Shin-Chang Kuo; Yi-Wei Yeh; Chun-Yen Chen; Chang-Chih Huang; Hsin-An Chang; Che-Hung Yen; Pei-Shen Ho; Chih-Sung Liang; Han-Wei Chou; Ru-Band Lu; San-Yuan Huang

doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.12.018

DRD3 variation associates with early-onset heroin dependence, but not specific personality traits

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2014 Jun 3:51:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.12.018. Epub 2014 Jan 5.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
² Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Psychiatry, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Taipei Branch, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
³ Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
⁴ Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Neurology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, Beitou Branch, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
⁶ Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Psychiatry, Beitou Branch, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
⁷ Institute of Behavior Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC.
⁸ Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: hsy@ndmctsgh.edu.tw.

PMID: 24398431
DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.12.018

Abstract

Dopamine D3 receptor-mediated pathways are involved in the mechanism of addiction, and genetic factors play a role in the vulnerability to heroin dependence. The aim of this study was to examine whether the corresponding gene, DRD3, is associated with the development of heroin dependence and specific personality traits in HD patients. Eight polymorphisms in DRD3 were analyzed in 1067 unrelated Han Chinese subjects (566 heroin dependence patients and 501 controls). All participants were screened using the same assessment tool and all patients met the criteria for heroin dependence. A Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire was used to assess personality traits in 276 heroin dependence patients. In addition, heroin dependence patients were divided into 4 clinical subgroups based on age-of-onset and family history of substance abuse, to reduce the clinical heterogeneity. The rs6280 and rs9825563 variants showed association with the development of early-onset heroin dependence. The GTA haplotype frequency in the block (rs324029, rs6280, rs9825563) was significantly associated with early-onset heroin dependence (p=0.003). However, these significant associations were weaker after Bonferroni's correction. In addition, these DRD3 polymorphisms did not influence novelty seeking and harm avoidance scores in HD patients. DRD3 is possibly a genetic factor in the development of early-onset heroin dependence, but is not associated with specific personality traits in these patients among the Han Chinese population.

Keywords: DRD3 gene; Heroin dependence; Personality trait; Polymorphisms.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Female
Genetic Association Studies
Genotype
Heroin Dependence / genetics*
Humans
Logistic Models
Male
Middle Aged
Personality / genetics*
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / genetics*
Receptors, Dopamine D3 / genetics*

Substances

DRD3 protein, human
Receptors, Dopamine D3