Characterization of serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) polymorphisms and its association with drug dependence in a Jordanian Arab population

Abstract

Drug dependence is a pattern of repeated self-administration of a drug, which can result in tolerance, withdrawal and compulsive drug-taking behaviour. It has been recently suggested that 5-HTTLPR (LL/LS/SS) variants and rs25531 (A/G) polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) may play a role in drug dependence. The current study aimed to (1) identify allelic, haplotypic and genotypic frequencies of the 5-HTTLPR variants and rs25531 polymorphisms of SLC6A4 gene in drug and nondrug-dependent Jordanian Arab population and (2) determine whether there is an association of these variants in a drug-dependent population from the same area. Jordanian drug male addicts of Arab descent (n=192) meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth edition criteria for drug dependence and 230 healthy male controls from an ethnically homogenous Jordanian Arab population were examined. Genotyping was performed using the restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction-based method to genotype the 5-HTTLPR variants and detect the A/G polymorphism at position rs25531. The biallelic analysis revealed that the frequency of 5-HTTLPR (LL/LS/SS) genotypes was statistically significant different between drug-dependent individuals and controls (χ (2) (2, N=422), p=0.04). Drug-dependent subjects had a higher frequency of 'L' allele. However, using the triallelic approach, the estimated frequency of haplotypes (SA , SG , LA and LG ) and phased genotypes (LA /LA , LA /SA , LA /LG , SA /SA and SA /SG) did not show significant association with drug dependence (χ (2) (3, N=422), p=0.53 and χ (2) (4, N=422), p=0.06, respectively). This study suggests a putative role of the 5-HTTLPR for drug dependence in the Jordanian Nationals of Arab ancestry.