Summary.
Two DBH polymorphisms were investigated in 114 Brazilian alcoholics of European descent and 233 controls. Personality and life events were also analyzed among alcoholics. No significant differences were observed in allele or genotype frequencies between alcoholics and controls. No association was detected between the polymorphisms and personality dimensions. Carriers of the −1021 T allele presented a higher number (F = 7.49; P = 0.007) of life events. This study provides a preliminary indication that the DBH −1021 C/T polymorphism influences the exposure to life events.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Psychiatric Association (1987) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 3rd edn. American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC
J Biederman TE Wilens E Mick SV Faraone T Spencer (1998) ArticleTitleDoes attention-deficit hyperactive disorder impact the developmental course of drug and alcohol abuse and dependence? Biol Psychiatry 44 269–273 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0006-3223(97)00406-X Occurrence Handle9715358
KK Bucholz R Cadoret CR Cloninger SH Dinwiddie VM Hesselbrock JI Nurnberger SuffixJr T Reich I Schmidt MA Schuckit (1994) ArticleTitleA new, semistructured psychiatric interview for use in genetic linkage studies: a report of the reliability of SSAGA. J Stud Alcohol 55 149–158 Occurrence Handle8189735
CR Cloninger (1987) ArticleTitleA systematic method for clinical description and classification of personality variants. A proposal. Arch Gen Psychiatry 44 573–588 Occurrence Handle3579504
SP Craig VJ Buckle A Lamouroux J Mallet IW Craig (1988) ArticleTitleLocalization of the human dopamine beta hydroxylase (DBH) gene to chromosome 9q34. Cytogenet Cell Genet 48 48–50 Occurrence Handle3180847
JF Cubells DP van Kammen ME Kelley GM Anderson DT O’Connor LH Price R Malison PA Rao K Kobayashi T Nagatsu J Gelernter (1998) ArticleTitleDopamine β-hydroxylase: two polymorphisms in linkage disequilibrium at the structural gene DBH associate with biochemical phenotypic variation. Hum Genet 102 533–540 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s004390050736 Occurrence Handle9654201
JF Cubells HR Kranzler E McCance-Katz GM Anderson RT Malison LH Price J Gelernter (2000) ArticleTitleA haplotype at the DBH locus, associated with low plasma dopamine β-hydroxylase ctivity, also associates with cocaine-induced paranoia. Mol Psychiatry 5 56–63 Occurrence Handle10.1038/sj.mp.4000657 Occurrence Handle10673769
JF Cubells LH Price BS Meyers GM Anderson CP Zabetian GS Alexopoulos JC Nelson G Sanacora P Kirwin L Carpenter RT Malison J Gelernter (2002) ArticleTitleGenotipe-controlled analysis of plasma dopamine β-hydroxylase activity in psychotic unipolar major depression. Biol Psychiatry 51 358–364 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0006-3223(01)01349-X Occurrence Handle11904129
G Daly Z Hawi M Fitzgerald M Gill (1999) ArticleTitleMapping susceptibility loci in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: preferential transmission of parental alleles at DAT1, DBH and DRD5 to affected children. Mol Psychiatry 4 192–196 Occurrence Handle10.1038/sj.mp.4000510 Occurrence Handle10208453
JA Ewing (1984) ArticleTitleDetecting alcoholism: the CAGE questionnaire. JAMA 252 1905–1907 Occurrence Handle10.1001/jama.252.14.1905 Occurrence Handle6471323
KS Kendler M Neale R Kessler A Heath L Eaves (1993) ArticleTitleA twin study of recent life events and difficulties. Arch Gen Psychiatry 50 789–796 Occurrence Handle8215803
KS Kendler RC Kessler EE Walters C MacLean MC Neale AC Heath LJ Eaves (1995) ArticleTitleStressful life events, genetic liability, and onset of episode of major depression in women. Am J Psychiatry 152 833–842 Occurrence Handle7755111
MD Kohnke CP Zabetian GM Anderson W Kolb I Gaertner G Buchkremer R Vonthein S Schick U Lutz AM Kohnke JF Cubells (2002) ArticleTitleA genotype-controlled analysis of plasma dopamine β-hydroxylase in healthy and alcoholic subjects: evidence for alcohol-related differences in noradrenergic function. Biol Psychiatry 52 1151–1158 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0006-3223(02)01427-0 Occurrence Handle12488060
DK Lahiri JI Nurnberger (1991) ArticleTitleA rapid non-enzimatic method for the preparation of HMW DNA from blood for RFLP studies. Nucl Acids Res 19 5444 Occurrence Handle1681511
GA Rogeness JW Maas MA Javors CA Macedo C Fischer WR Harris (1989) ArticleTitleAttention deficit disorder symptoms and urine catecholamines. Psychiatry Res 27 241–251 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0165-1781(89)90140-6 Occurrence Handle2469096
T Roman M Schmitz GV Polanczyk M Eizirik LA Rohde MH Hutz (2002) ArticleTitleFurther evidence for the association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and the dopamine β-hydroxylase gene. Am J Med Genet 114 154–158 Occurrence Handle10.1002/ajmg.10194 Occurrence Handle11857576
IG Sarason JH Johnson JM Siegel (1978) ArticleTitleAssessing the impact of life changes: development of the Life Experiences Survey. J Consult Clin Psychol 46 932–946 Occurrence Handle10.1037//0022-006X.46.5.932 Occurrence Handle701572
R Tillman B Geller MJ Nickelsburg K Bolhofner JL Craney MP DelBello W Wigh (2003) ArticleTitleLife events in a prepubertal and early adolescent bipolar disorder phenotype compared to attention-deficit hyperactive and normal controls. J Child Adolesc Psycopharmacol 13 243–251 Occurrence Handle10.1089/104454603322572570
J Wei H Xu CN Ramchand GP Hemmings (1997) ArticleTitleIs the polymorphic microsatellite repeat of the dopamine β-hydroxylase gene associated with biochemical variability of the catecholamine pathway in schizophrenia? Biol Psychiatry 41 762–767 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0006-3223(96)00218-1 Occurrence Handle9084894
J Wei CN Ramchand GP Hemmings (1998) ArticleTitleTaq I polymorphic sites at the human dopamine β-hydroxylase gene possibly associated with biochemical alterations of the cathecolamine pathway in schizophrenia. Psychiatr Genet 8 19–24 Occurrence Handle9564683
CP Zabetian GM Anderson SG Buxbaum RC Elston H Ichinose T Nagatsu KS Kim CH Kim RT Malison J Gelernter JF Cubells (2001) ArticleTitleA quantitative-trait analysis of plasma-dopamine β-hydroxylase activity: evidence for a major functional polymorphism at the DBH Locus. Am J Hum Genet 68 515–522 Occurrence Handle10.1086/318198 Occurrence Handle11170900
HB Zhang YF Wang J Li B Wang L Yang (2004) ArticleTitleAssociation of dopamine beta-hydroxylase polymorphism with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. Beijing Da Xue Xue Bao 36 290–293 Occurrence Handle15205702
HB Zhang YF Wang J Li B Wang L Yang (2005) ArticleTitleAssociation between dopamine beta hydroxylase gene and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder complicated with disruptive behavior disorder. Zhonghua Er Ke Za Zhi 43 26–30
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Freire, M., Hutz, M. & Bau, C. The DBH −1021 C/T polymorphism is not associated with alcoholism but possibly with patients’ exposure to life events. J Neural Transm 112, 1269–1274 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-005-0339-8
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-005-0339-8