Genetic variants of monoaminergic transporters in alcohol withdrawal

While genetic variants of monoaminergic transporters have been suggested to influence severity of alcohol withdrawal, their influence on alcohol dependence liability per se remained doubtful. The aim of this analysis of the Munich Gene Bank of Alcoholism (MGBA) is to investigate the influence of serotonergic, noradrenergic, dopaminergic and glutamatergic presynaptic transporter polymorphism on alcohol withdrawal. 291 treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent subjects (ICD 10) and 395 Controls were genotyped (5-HTT: 5-HTTLPR; -VNTR; NET: G1287A and T4560C; DAT: 40pb VNTR; EAAT1 C9510T, intron 6, T97190A, intron9). Characteristics of alcohol dependence and alcohol withdrawal were obtained using the SSAGA (Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism). Haplotype analyses were conducted using THESIAS and PHASE software applications. Significant relationships between alcohol withdrawal characteristics and genetic variants of the 5-HTT, NET and DAT were detected. While a profile of monoaminergic transporters common variants might contribute to a higher susceptibility for alcohol withdrawal and its complications in alcohol-dependent subjects, but not to alcohol dependence per se, these results might also explain the inconsistent results of previous association studies using these genetic variants. Furthermore, transporter gene variants might also serve as future targets for a more optimized pharmacotherapy of alcohol dependence and alcoholic withdrawal.