Endogenous Opioid Receptor Genes and Alcohol Dependence among Taiwanese Han

Background: Nonselective opioid antagonists reduce alcohol consumption under various experimental situations, and several association studies have examined possible roles of opioid receptor mu (OPRM), delta (OPRD), and kappa (OPRK) genes in the development of alcohol dependence. Methods: We examined 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the OPRM, OPRD, and OPRK genes in 158 alcohol-dependent subjects and 149 controls. Differences in allele frequency and genotype distribution between case subjects and controls, as well as the deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, were examined using Fisher's exact tests. Results: No significant difference in either allele or genotype frequency was found between case subjects and controls for each of the SNPs. Conclusions: Our findings do not support a possible role of the opioid receptor genes for the proclivity to alcohol dependence in the Taiwanese Han.