ALCOHOLICS WITH THE DOPAMINE RECEPTOR DRD2 A1 ALLELE HAVE LOWER PLATELET MONOAMINE OXIDASE-B ACTIVITY THAN THOSE WITH THE A2 ALLELE: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

• Published in: Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford) Vol. 35; no. 5; pp. 493 - 498
• Main Authors: Eriksson, Matts, Berggren, Ulf, Blennow, Kaj, Fahlke, Claudia, Månsson, Jan-Erik, Balldin, Jan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.09.2000; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Alcoholism; Alcoholism - genetics; Alcoholism - metabolism; Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; Alleles; Analysis of Variance; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Platelets; Blood Platelets - metabolism; Dopamine D2; Educational Sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic; genetics; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; metabolism; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Monoamine Oxidase; Monoamine Oxidase - genetics; Monoamine Oxidase - metabolism; Polymorphism; Polymorphism, Genetic; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psykologi; Receptors; Receptors, Dopamine D2 - genetics; Toxicology; Utbildningsvetenskap; Consumption; Human; Ethanol; Enzyme; Digestive system; Toxicity; Alcoholism; Liver; Biological marker; Amine oxidase (flavin-containing); Blood; Alcoholic beverage; Liver function; Allele; Blood cell; Platelet; D2 Dopamine receptor; Enzymatic activity; Gene; Dependence; Genetics; Oxidoreductases; Polymorphism
• ISSN: 0735-0414; 1464-3502; 1464-3502
• DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/35.5.493

Low platelet monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) activity and the presence of the Taq1 A1 allele of the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene have independently been proposed as ‘biological/genetic’ markers for alcoholism. In the present study, the relationship between these two markers was investigated in a group of socially stable Caucasian middle-aged men with a mean (±SD) daily ethanol consumption of 85 ± 57 g. The platelet MAO-B activity was significantly lower in individuals with the DRD2 A1 allele (n = 8), compared to those without it (n = 29). This relationship remained unchanged when including only subjects who fulfilled DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence (n = 27). The finding suggests that alcoholics who are carriers of the DRD2 A1 allele may have lower platelet MAO-B activity.