NO ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ALCOHOLISM AND MULTIPLE POLYMORPHISMS AT THE DOPAMINE D2 RECEPTOR GENE (DRD2) IN 3 DISTINCT TAIWANESE POPULATIONS

This study examined whether there is evidence for an association betwe en alcoholism and the alleles of the TaqI A, TaqI B, and short tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRP), both individually and as haplotypes, at t he dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) in males of three populations from Taiwan. We studied 46 Chinese Han (21 alcoholics and 25 nonalcoholics ), 42 Atayal (21 alcoholics and 21 nonalcoholics), and 40 Ami (20 alco holics and 20 nonalcoholics). Alcoholism was diagnosed according to DS M-III-R criteria and all individuals in the alcoholic groups were seve rely affected Significant linkage disequilibrium occurs for the three polymorphic sites in all three populations. No significant association was observed between any of the three polymorphisms at the DRD2 focus , tested individually and as haplotypes, and alcoholism in the three s ubject groups. We conclude that no association exists between genetic variation at the DRD2 focus and alcoholism in Chinese Han, Atayal, and Ami males.