ABSTRACT
Alleles of the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) and the alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (ADH2) genes were determined in 69 French Polynesian alcoholic patients and 57 controls matched for racial origin. Three racial groups were studied: pure Polynesians (PP), Polynesians mixed with Caucasian (PCA) ancestry and Polynesians mixed with Chinese (PCH) ancestry. DRD2 A1 allele frequencies in the alcoholics compared to their controls in these groups were: PP,.26 vs.32 (P =. 69); PCA,.44 vs.35 (P =.46); PCH,.40 vs 0.39 (P =.88). ADH2 1 allele frequencies in alcoholics compared to their controls groups were: PP, .56 vs.62 (P =.66); PCA,.75 vs.56 (P =.09); PCH,.78 vs.32 (P =.009). In the PCA group, the combination of the DRD2 A1 genotypes and the ADH2 1 homozygotes was strongly associated with alcoholism (P =. 0027). This preliminary study shows the importance of ascertaining racial ancestry in molecular genetic association studies. Moreover, it suggests that a combination of genes are involved in susceptibility to the development of alcoholism.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Dehydrogenase/genetics , Alcoholism/ethnology , Alcoholism/genetics , Gene Expression/genetics , Receptors, Dopamine D2/genetics , Adult , Alcohol Dehydrogenase/metabolism , Alcoholism/enzymology , Alleles , Female , Humans , Male , PolynesiaABSTRACT
Three of thirteen strains of Neisseria lactamica, a species closely related to N. meningitidis, were selected on the basis of their ability to be strongly agglutinated by serogroup B antimeningococcal serum. The presence of a capsule was demonstrated using Alcian blue as a stain for acidic polysaccharide. When reacted with serogroup B antimeningococcal sera, 2 out of 3 N. lactamica B-coagglutanating strains exhibited an extracellular material comparable in size, antigenicity and staining properties to the capsule of serogroup B N. meningitidis.
