DNA methylation of the LEP gene is associated with craving during alcohol withdrawal

Thomas Hillemacher; Christian Weinland; Bernd Lenz; Thomas Kraus; Annemarie Heberlein; Alexander Glahn; Marc A N Muschler; Stefan Bleich; Johannes Kornhuber; Helge Frieling

doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.10.014

DNA methylation of the LEP gene is associated with craving during alcohol withdrawal

Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2015 Jan:51:371-7. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.10.014. Epub 2014 Oct 23.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Center for Addiction Research (CARe), Department of Psychiatry, Socialpsychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Molecular Neurosciences Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Socialpsychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany; Frankenalb-Klinik Engelthal, Nürnberg, Germany.
⁴ Center for Addiction Research (CARe), Department of Psychiatry, Socialpsychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
⁵ Center for Addiction Research (CARe), Department of Psychiatry, Socialpsychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Molecular Neurosciences Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Socialpsychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

PMID: 25462909
DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.10.014

Abstract

Different studies have described evidence for an association between leptin serum levels and craving in alcohol dependent patients. As leptin expression is regulated by DNA methylation we investigated changes of DNA methylation of the LEP gene promoter region in alcohol dependent patients undergoing withdrawal. Results show that low methylation status is associated with increasing serum leptin levels and elevation of craving for alcohol in the referring patients group. These findings point towards a pathophysiological relevance of changes in DNA methylation of the LEP gene promoter region in alcohol dependence.

Keywords: Alcohol dependence; Craving; DNA methylation; Epigenetics; Leptin.

MeSH terms

Adult
Alcoholism / blood
Alcoholism / genetics*
Craving / physiology*
DNA Methylation*
Female
Genetic Association Studies
Humans
Leptin / blood
Leptin / genetics*
Male
Middle Aged
Promoter Regions, Genetic
Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / blood
Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / genetics*

Substances

Leptin