The HTR1B 861G > C receptor polymorphism among patients suffering from alcoholism, major depression, anxiety disorders and narcolepsy

The HTR1B receptor gene has been linked to antisocial alcoholism in a Finni sh population and an American Indian tribe [Lappalainen et al., Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 55 (1998) 989]. Using a candidate gene approach, we genotyped 2 09 patients with alcoholism, 108 patients with major depression, 32 patient s with panic disorder, 50 patients with generalized anxiety disorder, 58 pa tients with narcolepsy and 74 healthy volunteers for the HTR1B 861G > C pol ymorphism. There was a higher frequency of the HTR1B 861G alleles among the alcohol-dependent patients as compared to the control subjects (chi (2) = 4.02, d.f. = 2, P = 0.04). However, the association resulted from higher fr equencies of the opposite alleles (HTR1B 861G), as originally reported by L appalainen et al. (1998). Although the association in our study might be du e to a type I error, the higher degree of HTR1B allele sharing within both populations could also argue for another alcoholism-relevant gene within th e proximity of the HTR1B gene on human chromosome 6. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scie nce Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.