Genetic association of the EGR2 gene with bipolar disorder in Korea

The early growth response gene 2 (EGR2) is located at chromosome 10q21, one of the susceptibility loci in bipolar disorder (BD). EGR2 is involved in cognitive function, myelination, and signal transduction related to neuregulin-ErbB receptor, Bcl-2 family proteins, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This study investigated the genetic association of the EGR2 gene with BD and schizophrenia (SPR) in Korea. In 946 subjects (350 healthy controls, 352 patients with BD, and 244 with SPR), nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the EGR2 gene region were genotyped. Five SNPs showed nominally significant allelic associations with BD (rs2295814, rs61865882, rs10995315, rs2297488, and rs2297489), and the positive associations of all except rs2297488 remained significant after multiple testing correction. Linkage disequilibrium structure analysis revealed two haplotype blocks. Among the common identified haplotypes (frequency > 5%), 'T-G-A-C-T (block 1)' and 'A-A-G-C (block 2)' haplotypes were over-represented, while 'C-G-G-T-T (block 1)' haplotype was under-represented in BD. In contrast, no significant associations were found with SPR. Although an extended analysis with a larger sample size or independent replication is required, these findings suggest a genetic association of EGR2 with BD. Combined with a plausible biological function of EGR2, the EGR2 gene is a possible susceptibility gene in BD.

The Clinical Characteristics of Female Gamblers: Focusing on Casino Visitors / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: Recently, the number of female gamblers has increased, therefore, the proportion of women is around one third of all the pathological gamblers. However, the majority of previous studies on pathological gambling have been performed with only male subjects and tended to generalize those results to females. The authors have investigated the gender differences in level 3 gambling in terms of characteristics of gambling and associated psychiatric symptoms. METHODS: 166 participants (104 males, 62 females) who came to a casino have been evaluated for their sociodemographic data and the characteristics of gambling. Participants completed the following self-reported questionnaires: The Korean Version of South Oaks Gambling Screen (KSOGS), The Korean Version of Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), The Korean Version of Beck Anxiety Scale (BAI), The Korean Version of Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), The Korean Version of Behavioral Activation/Inhibition System Scale (K-BAS/BIS), CAGE (The CAGE Questionnare), The Korean Version of Eating Attitudes Test (KEAT). RESULTS: Female level 3 gamblers had significantly later age of onset for their gambling behavior than male. Female level 3 gamblers were significantly more depressed and male level 3 gamblers had more severe alcohol use problems. The proportion of the participants with more severe eating problems was significantly higher in female level 3 gamblers than their male counterparts. CONCLUSION: This study suggests the importance of considering the associated depressive symptoms and eating problems in female gamblers.