How to determine the risk of alcoholism
A panel of 11 genes compiled by Indiana University researchers working under the guidance of Associate Professor Alexander B. Niculescu III is an effective tool for diagnosing predisposition to alcoholism.
The authors used an approach known as Convergent Functional Genomics to compare the data collected in the framework of the German genome-wide study of the causes of alcoholism with the results of other studies devoted to the study of genetic prerequisites for the development of this disease. As a result, 135 candidate genes were identified.
These genes were compared with genes whose expression activity changes in a mouse model of stress-activated alcoholism. This model made it possible to identify the key genes underlying behavioral changes in alcoholism in the absence of the influence of many environmental factors affecting a person.
The analysis narrowed the search range to 11 genes and 66 of their variations – the so-called single nucleotide polymorphisms.
Testing of the compiled panel using data on three independent populations demonstrated its effectiveness as a tool for identifying predisposition to alcoholism. The study used genetic data and information about alcohol consumption by two groups of Americans (of European and African descent), as well as a group of people living in Germany.
Many of the 11 genes identified are associated with other neuropsychiatric disorders, including cocaine addiction, Parkinson's disease, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety. This is not surprising, since the existence of a relationship between alcoholism and diseases such as bipolar disorder is a well-known fact.
Genes common to alcoholism and other mental disorders. Clockwise:
alcoholism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, mouse model of stress-induced alcoholism
(diagram from an article in Translational Psychiatry).
Some of these genes, including those involved in the mechanisms of action of omega-3 fatty acids, indicate possible approaches to the treatment and prevention of alcoholism. The results of the authors' earlier laboratory studies indicate that these mechanisms regulate alcohol consumption.
According to Niculescu, alcoholism is a disease, the development of which is excluded in case of refusal to use an exogenous product (alcohol). Alcohol is a legal, affordable and in some cases even imposed (by advertising or society) product. However, if a person knows about his genetic predisposition to alcoholism, he can consciously adhere to a certain line of behavior. At the same time, the authors note that the panel they developed is not intended to diagnose alcoholism, but solely to determine the degree of risk of developing this disease.
Article by Levey et al. Genetic risk prediction and neurobiological understanding of alcoholism is published in the open access journal Translational Psychiatry.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Indiana University:
Panel of 11 genes predicts alcoholism risk, gives new insights into biology of the disease.
23.005.2014