Title:Association of DRD2 TaqIA and DβH -1021C>T Gene Polymorphisms with Smoking Initiation and their Interaction with Serotonergic System Gene Polymorphisms
VOLUME: 11 ISSUE: 2
Author(s):Georgia Ragia, Maria Iordanidou, Efstathia Giannakopoulou, Anna Tavridou and Vangelis G. Manolopoulos
Affiliation:Laboratory of Pharmacology, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Dragana Campus, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece.
Keywords:Dopamine, DβH, DRD2, genes, serotonin, smoking, 5-HT2CR, 5HTTLPR.
Abstract:The dopaminergic system has an important role in the rewarding properties of nicotine. Gene polymorphisms
of DRD2 and DβH that regulate dopamine neurotransmission or metabolism could influence smoking behavior.
Additionally, the ability of a 5-HT2CR agonist to block mesolimbic dopamine activation produced by nicotine at the level
of ventral tegmental area, suggests a possible interaction between dopaminergic and serotonergic systems in smoking
initiation. In the present study, DRD2 TaqIA and DβH -1021C>T polymorphisms and their interactions with 5-HT2CR -
759C>T and -697G>C and 5HTTLPR S/L polymorphisms of serotonergic system were analyzed in 166 smoking initiators
(SI) and 244 non-initiators (NI) of Greek origin, using PCR-RFLP method. No differences were found in genotype
distributions of DRDR2 TaqIA and DβH -1021C>T polymorphisms between SI and NI. Also, we found no interaction of
DRD2 TaqIA and DβH -1021C>T with smoking initiation. When DRD2 TaqIA polymorphism was combined with 5-
HT2CR -759C>T and -697G>C polymorphisms, the interaction of DRD2 TaqIA1 and 5-HT2CR -759T alleles was
associated with smoking initiation in a model adjusted for age, sex, BMI and type 2 diabetes mellitus (OR=0.70, p=0.022)
but did not improve the model that includes 5-HT2CR -759C>T polymorphism alone (OR=0.52, p=0.028). DRDR2 TaqIA
and DβH -1021C>T polymorphisms were not associated with smoking initiation. The lower risk for smoking initiation
conferred by the combination of DRD2 TaqIA1 and 5-HT2CR -759T variant alleles, indicates the presence of
dopaminergic/serotonergic system interaction in smoking behavior; however, this interaction does not substantially
improve the predictive value of 5-HT2CR -759T allele alone on smoking initiation risk. To the best of our knowledge, this
is the first study of gene polymorphisms in multiple dopaminergic components in relation to smoking initiation, and of the
interaction of gene polymorphisms of dopaminergic and serotonergic components in relation to this smoking phenotype in
a large sample free of alcohol or drug dependencies.
