EURweb |
NICOTINE FIX FOR BLACK SMOKERS FOUND IN GENES: Researchers locate genetic link in largest study of its kind.
*A study at the University of Virginia Health System shows for the first time that nicotine dependence (ND) among African American populations can be linked to a gene, reports Newswise.
In previous studies, scientists discovered differences in smoking patterns and in ND across ethnic groups. Analysis of twin studies on smoking behavior showed that genetic factors are responsible for at least 50 percent of a person’s tendency toward dependence on nicotine.
“Identifying the genes that predispose a person to nicotine dependence and understanding the molecular mechanisms are vital to prevention and treatment,” said lead author Ming Li, Ph.D., associate professor and head of the Neurobiology Section of the UVa Department of Psychiatric Medicine. "Given the potential ethnic differences in smoking patterns and nicotine metabolism, this study may suggest strategies for identifying genes for tobacco dependence, especially among African American smokers.”
The researchers conducted a genome-wide scan of 1,261 individuals representing 402 nuclear families of African American origin, the largest sample collection of African-American smokers throughout the world. Their results revealed a region on chromosome 10 that showed a significant linkage to smoking quantity and other measures of smoking dependence. They also identified three other regions that met the criteria for linkage to at least one ND measure. Some of these regions have been linked to smoking behavior previously, which adds supporting data to the previous studies of nicotine dependence in other populations.”
The article appears in the October issue of American Journal of Human Genetics (vol. 79, pages 745-751). To read the article, visit: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/AJHG/journal/issues/v79n4/43856/43856.web.pdf
