Gizer IR, Ehlers CL, Vieten C, et al. (2010) Linkage scan of nicotine dependence in the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Family Alcoholism Study. Psychological Medicine, 41(4):799-808.
Background
Nicotine dependence has been shown to represent a heritable condition, and several research groups have performed linkage analysis to identify genomic regions influencing this disorder though only a limited number of the findings have been replicated.
Methods
In the present study, a genome-wide linkage scan for nicotine dependence was conducted in a community sample of 950 probands and 1204 relatives recruited through the UCSF Family Alcoholism Study. A modified version of the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA) with additional questions that probe nicotine use was used to derive DSM-IV nicotine dependence diagnoses.
Results
A locus on chromosome 2q31.1 at 184 centimorgans nearest to marker D2S2188 yielded a LOD score of 3.54 (point-wise empirical p-value = .000012). Additional peaks of interest were identified on chromosomes 2q13, 4p15.33-31, 11q25, and 12p11.23-21. Follow-up analyses were conducted examining the contributions of individual nicotine dependence symptoms to the chromosome 2q31.1 linkage peak as well as examining the relation of this chromosomal region to alcohol dependence.
Conclusions
The present report suggests that chromosome 2q31.1 confers risk to the development of nicotine dependence and that this region influences a broad range of nicotine dependence symptoms rather than a specific facet of the disorder. Further, the results show this region is not linked to alcohol dependence in this population, and thus may influence nicotine dependence specifically.
