Childhood adversity increases risk for nicotine dependence and interacts with α5 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor genotype specifically in males.

ABSTRACT: The relative importance of specific genetic and environmental factors in regulating nicotine dependence (ND) risk, including the effects on specific forms of childhood adversity on smoking risk, have been understudied. Genome-wide association studies and rodent models have demonstrated that the α5 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor gene (CHRNA5) is important in regulating nicotine intake. Childhood adversity increases the methylation level of the CHRNA5 promoter region in European Americans (EAs), an effect that was observed only in males (Zhang et al, submitted for publication). In view of this potential sex difference in the effects of early life experience on smoking, we investigated the presence of a sex-specific gene-by-environment effect of this marker on ND risk. A nonsynonymous SNP i

SUBMITTER: Xie P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3260970 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature