Polymorphisms in the mu-Opioid Receptor Gene in Jordanian Arabs with Opiate Drug Dependence

摘要

This study investigated the relationship between the gene coding of the u-opioid receptor (OPRM1) and the susceptibility to opiate drug dependence in Arab populations. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the OPRM1 locus in 460 subjects were genotyped using the sequenom MassARRAY system (iPLEX GOLD). Of these subjects, 220 were male patients at a Jordanian Drug Rehabilitation Centre who met the DSM- IV criteria for opiate drug dependence and 240 were healthy male controls from an ethnically homogenous Jordanian Arab population. Genotype distributions for all 22 SNPs were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). The SNPs associated with drug dependence were rs6912029 (G-172T), rs12205732 (G-1510A) and rs563649 (G-983A) (p value < 0.05). It has been suggested that OPRM1 is the main target of opiates and other drugs and plays an important role in opioid tolerance and dependence. This study is the first to show a genetic association between OPRM1 and drug dependence in an Arab population. However, further studies using larger samples and different populations are needed to confirm these findings and identify individuals with increased risk for dependence.