| 1. |
- Berggren, Ulf, 1948, et al.
(författare)
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Different effects of smoking or use of smokeless tobacco on platelet MAO-B activity in type 1 alcohol-dependent subjects.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire). - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0735-0414 .- 1464-3502. ; 42:3, s. 267-71
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Low platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO)-B activity has been proposed as a marker for alcohol-dependence. Findings are, however, contradictory and the influence of confounding factors have been thoroughly investigated. Thus, it is now well established that cigarette smoking reduces platelet MAO-activity. However, not much is known about the influence of smokeless tobacco, i.e. snuff or chewing tobacco, on platelet MAO-B activity. The aim of the present study was to compare platelet MAO-B activity in type 1 alcohol-dependent subjects with concomitant use of smokeless tobacco (i.e. snuff users), use of smoking tobacco (i.e. cigarette smokers), and in those without any tobacco use. METHODS: Platelet MAO-B activity was examined in three groups of alcohol-dependent subjects: snuff users (n = 14), cigarette smokers (n = 33), and non-tobacco users (N = 46). RESULTS: In the alcohol-dependent subjects concomitant cigarette smokers, but not snuff users, were found to have significantly lower platelet MAO-B activity as compared to non-tobacco users (platelet MAO-B activity 4.0 +/- 1.5, 5.1 +/- 1.5 and 5.0 +/- 1.9 microkat/kg protein, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The findings in the present study suggests that in the alcohol-dependent subjects the concomitant use of smokeless tobacco, i.e. snuffing, does not have an inhibitory effect on platelet MAO-B activity. This may have implications for future research. Thus, alcohol-dependent subjects with concomitant tobacco use should be grouped separately according to the form of the tobacco used, i.e. smoking or smokeless tobacco.
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| 2. |
- Berggren, Ulf, 1948, et al.
(författare)
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Dopamine D2 Receptor Genotype Is Associated with Increased Mortality at a 10-Year Follow-up of Alcohol-Dependent Individuals.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Alcohol and alcoholism. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1464-3502 .- 0735-0414. ; 45:1, s. 1-5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS: Because the TAQ1 A1 allele may be associated with alcohol-related medical illnesses, and medical illnesses in alcohol-dependent individuals are associated with increased mortality, we test the hypothesis that the TAQ1 A1 allele of the DRD2 gene is associated with increased mortality in alcohol-dependent individuals. METHODS: Following an index treatment episode, a 10-year follow-up study in 366 alcohol-dependent individuals was performed. The TAQ1 A1/A2 DRD2 genotype and allele frequencies were compared between those deceased and those still living at the 10-year point. In addition, the genotype and allele frequencies of these alcohol-dependent individuals were compared to that in 578 control subjects. RESULTS: The prevalence of the A1 allele differed between the deceased and living patients and the controls: 47% of the deceased were A1+, compared to 37% of the living patients and 32% of the controls. The frequency of the TAQ1 A1/A2 genotype also differed between the groups. Thus, 43% had the A1/A2 genotype in comparison with 32% in the living patients and 29% in the controls. The TAQ 1 A1 allele frequency differed between the groups. The frequency of A1 allele was 25% in the deceased patients compared to 21% in the living patients and 17% in the controls. CONCLUSION: The TAQ I A1 allele of the DRD2 gene (or DRD2 gene region) was associated with increased mortality over a 10-year period in alcohol-dependent individuals.
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| 3. |
- Berggren, Ulf, 1948, et al.
(författare)
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The taqI DRD2 A1 allele is associated with alcohol-dependence although its effect size is small
- 2006
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Ingår i: Alcohol. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0735-0414. ; 41:5, s. 479-85
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Numerous studies of the relationship between the TaqIA DRD2 A1 allele and alcohol-dependence have been performed and many of these have shown an association whereas others have not (Noble, 2003). This has consequently generated some controversy as to whether such an association actually exists (Noble, 2003). In the two recent meta-analyses by Noble (2003) and Young et al. (2004) some very important methodological issues have been discussed, which need to be addressed in forthcoming studies. Thus, the sample size is of great importance. In case-control studies it has been estimated that to detect the role of genes with small effect size of approximately 2, which is in the range of the DRD2 A1 allele-alcoholism relationship, case-control sets of 300-400 subjects are necessary (Noble, 2003). METHODS: In the present study, we have consequently recruited a large number of subjects, 375 alcohol-dependent individuals, who were treated as inpatients for alcohol withdrawal symptoms and out of these 357 could be evaluated. As controls, 578 individuals screened and 254 individuals unscreened for alcohol consumption were used. Thus, the total number of subjects was 1217. RESULTS: In the present study, in which the TaqI A1/A2 DRD2 polymorphism was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the patient group and the two control groups, we found that the TaqI DRD2 A1/A2 genotype frequency differed significantly between the alcohol-dependent group and both the total and screened control groups. Furthermore, the TaqI DRD2 A1 allele frequency was significantly overrepresented in the alcohol-dependent subjects as compared with both the total and screened control groups. The odds ratio for alcohol-dependency being associated with the A1 allele was 1.34. CONCLUSIONS: Consequently, the findings in this study lend further support to the notion of an association between the DRD2 A1 allele and alcohol-dependence, although the effect size of the DRD2 A1 allele is small.
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| 4. |
- Berggren, Ulf, 1948, et al.
(författare)
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Thrombocytopenia in early alcohol withdrawal is associated with development of delirium tremens or seizures.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire). - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1464-3502 .- 0735-0414. ; 44:4, s. 382-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS: In several studies, possible risk factors/predictors for severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), i.e. delirium tremens (DT) and/or seizures, have been investigated. We have recently observed that low blood platelet count could be such a risk factor/predictor. We therefore investigated whether such an association could be found using a large number of alcohol-dependent individuals (n = 334). METHODS: This study is a retrospectively conducted cohort study based on data from female and male patients (>20 years of age), consecutively admitted to an alcohol treatment unit. The individuals had to fulfil the discharge diagnoses alcohol dependence and alcohol withdrawal syndrome according to DSM-IV. RESULTS: During the treatment period, 3% of the patients developed DT, 2% seizures and none had co-occurrence of both conditions. Among those with DT, a higher proportion had thrombocytopenia. Those with seizures had lower blood platelet count and a higher proportion of them had thrombocytopenia. The sensitivity and specificity of thrombocytopenia for the development of DT during the treatment period was 70% and 69%, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 6% and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 99%. For the development of seizures, the figure for sensitivity was 75% and for specificity 69%. The figures for PPV and NPV were similar as those for the development of DT. CONCLUSIONS: Thrombocytopenia is more frequent in patients who develop severe AWS (DT or seizures). The findings, including the high NPV of thrombocytopenia, must be interpreted with caution due to the small number of patients who developed AWS. Further studies replicating the present finding are therefore needed before the clinical usefulness can be considered.
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| 5. |
- Dahlgren, Angelica, et al.
(författare)
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Do Alcohol-dependent individuals with DRD2 A1 allele have an increased risk of relapse? A pilot study
- 2011
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Ingår i: Alcohol and Alcoholism. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0735-0414 .- 1464-3502. ; 46:5, s. 509-513
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: The TaqIA polymorphism of the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene has been extensively studied in relation to alcoholism, and the TaqI A1 allele appears to be over-represented in alcohol-dependent individuals. In a recent study, this allele has also been associated with a highly increased mortality rate in alcohol-dependent individuals. In the present study, we investigated whether the TaqI A1 allele of the DRD2 gene region was associated with a higher relapse rate in alcohol-dependent individuals. Methods: Adult women (n = 10) and men (n = 40) with a diagnosis of alcohol-dependence were recruited from two Swedish 12-step treatment units for alcoholism. Subjects were genotyped for the TaqIA polymorphism. On average, 11/2 year after the end of the treatment program, subjects were re-interviewed by using the alcohol-related items from the Addiction Severity Index follow-up version. Results: Thirty-three (66%) subjects self-reported relapse and 17 (34%) abstinence during the follow-up period. Thirty-sex percent (18/50) were carriers of the A1 allele of the DRD2 gene region, and 64% (32/50) were non-carriers. Among the carriers of the A1 allele, 89% (16/18) reported relapse in contrast to 53% (17/32) in the non-carriers (P = 0.01; odds ratio = 7.1). Conclusion: The present study is, to our knowledge, the first report of an association between the TaqI A1 allele and a substantially increased relapse rate. It should be emphasized that the number of subjects is relatively small, and this investigation should therefore be considered as a pilot study. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Medical Council on Alcohol. All rights reserved.
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| 6. |
- Berggren, Ulf, 1948, et al.
(författare)
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Platelet monoamine oxidase-B activity in type 1 alcohol-dependent subjects in sustained full remission.
- 2002
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Ingår i: Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire). - 0735-0414. ; 37:4, s. 340-3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The present study investigated platelet monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) activity in male alcohol-dependent subjects in sustained full remission (minimum 1 year), to exclude possible transient changes in platelet MAO-B activity, which occur up to several months after the end of alcohol intake.MAO-B activity was examined in 16 alcohol-dependent subjects, characterized as type 1 alcoholics, with an abstinence period of 6 +/- 7 years (mean +/- SD) and in 12 healthy controls.The long-term abstinent alcohol-dependent subjects did not differ from controls in platelet MAO-B activity.Type 1 male alcohol-dependent subjects appear to have normal platelet MAO-B activity. The possibility, however, cannot be excluded that type 2 long-term abstinent alcoholics may have lower platelet MAO-B activity.
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| 7. |
- Berggren, Ulf, 1948, et al.
(författare)
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Platelet monoamine oxidase B in family history positive and family history negative type 1 alcohol-dependent subjects.
- 2002
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Ingår i: Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire). - 0735-0414. ; 37:6, s. 577-80
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the present study platelet monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) activity was investigated in 76 male type 1 alcohol-dependent subjects with and without a family history of alcoholism.Platelet MAO-B activity did not differ between family history positive (FHP) and family history negative alcohol-dependent subjects. The smoking status of the subjects was registered and there was still no difference between the groups when possible effects of smoking were taken into account. It should, however, be noted that platelet MAO-B activity was lower in alcohol-dependent subjects with three or four alcohol-dependent first-degree relatives.Although this latter finding should be interpreted with caution due to the small number of subjects, it cannot be excluded that FHP alcohol-dependent subjects with a large number of alcohol-dependent first-degree relatives may have lower platelet MAO-B activity.
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