Association Study of Serotonin 1A Receptor Gene, Personality, and Anxiety in Women with Alcohol Use Disorder

Abstract

Alcohol use disorder is considered a chronic and relapsing disorder affecting the central nervous system. The serotonergic system, mainly through its influence on the mesolimbic dopaminergic reward system, has been postulated to play a pivotal role in the underlying mechanism of alcohol dependence. The study aims to analyse the association of the rs6295 polymorphism of the 5HTR1A gene in women with alcohol use disorder and the association of personality traits with the development of alcohol dependence, as well as the interaction of the rs6295, personality traits, and anxiety with alcohol dependence in women. The study group consisted of 213 female volunteers: 101 with alcohol use disorder and 112 controls. NEO Five-Factor and State-Trait Anxiety Inventories were applied for psychometric testing. Genotyping of rs6295 was performed by real-time PCR. We did not observe significant differences in 5HTR1A rs6295 genotypes (p = 0.2709) or allele distribution (p = 0.4513). The AUD subjects scored higher on the anxiety trait (p < 0.0001) and anxiety state (p < 0.0001) scales, as well as on the neuroticism (p < 0.0001) and openness (p = 0134) scales. Significantly lower scores were obtained by the AUD subjects on the extraversion (p < 0.0001), agreeability (p < 0.0001), and conscientiousness (p < 0.0001) scales. Additionally, we observed a significant effect of 5HTR1A rs6295 genotype interaction and alcohol dependency, or lack thereof, on the openness scale (p = 0.0016). In summary, this study offers a comprehensive overview of alcohol dependence among women. It offers valuable insights into this complex topic, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of substance use among this specific demographic. Additionally, these findings may have implications for developing prevention and intervention strategies tailored to individual genetic and, most importantly, personality and anxiety differences.