Susceptibility loci for heroin and cocaine addiction in the serotonergic and adrenergic pathways in populations of different ancestry.

BACKGROUND

Drug addiction is influenced by genetic factors.

AIM: To determine if genetic variants in the serotonergic and adrenergic pathways are associated with heroin and/or cocaine addiction.

SUBJECTS &

METHODS

The study examined 140 polymorphisms in 19 genes in 1855 subjects with predominantly European or African ancestries.

RESULTS

A total of 38 polymorphisms (13 genes) showed nominal associations, including novel associations in S100A10 (p11) and SLC18A2 (VMAT2). The association of HTR3B SNP rs11606194 with heroin addiction in the European ancestry subgroup remained significant after correction for multiple testing (p(corrected) = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

The study strengthens our previous findings of association of polymorphisms in HTR3A, HTR3B and ADRA1A. The study suggests partial overlap in genetic susceptibility between populations of different ancestry and between heroin and cocaine addiction.