Background: The serotonergic (5-HT) dysfunction has been frequently described in subjects with alcohol dependence (AD). In the present study, a potential relationship between T102C polymorphism in the 5-HT receptor subtype 2Agene (HTR2A) and alcohol dependence was examined.
Methods: Genotypes were analyzed in 150 AD patients diagnosed with DSM-IV criteria and in 80 healthy controls.
Results: The genetic analysis showed that the frequency of 102C allele and C102C genotype in AD subjects was significantly higher than in controls. Moreover, AD patients homozygous for C allele had significantly lower age at onset of alcohol problems than subjects having at least one T allele.
Conclusion: The results suggest a potential role of the T102C HTR2A polymorphism in development of alcohol dependence.