A community-based study of cigarette smoking behavior in relation to variation in three genes involved in dopamine metabolism: Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A)

Meredith S. Shiels, Han Yao Huang, Sandra C. Hoffman, Yin Yao Shugart, Judy Hoffman Bolton, Elizabeth A. Platz, Kathy J. Helzlsouer, Anthony J. Alberg

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: Cigarette smoking behavior may be influenced by catechol-O-methlyltransferase (COMT), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), and monamine oxidase-A (MAO-A), genes that play roles in dopamine metabolism. The association between common polymorphisms of these genes and smoking behavior was assessed among 10,059 Caucasian volunteers in Washington County, MD in 1989. Methods: Age-adjusted logistic regression was used to measure the association between variants of these single nucleotide polymorphisms and smoking initiation and persistent smoking. Results: Overall, no association was seen between each genotype and smoking behavior. However, among younger (< 54 years) women, the COMT GG genotype was positively associated with smoking initiation (OR = 1.3; 95% CI: 1.0 1.5), and the MAO-A TT genotype was inversely associated with persistent smoking (OR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.4, 1.0). Men who smoked fewer than 10 cigarettes per day were more likely to be persistent smokers if they had the COMT GG (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.0, 2.9) or the DBH GG (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.0, 2.5) genotypes. Conclusion: Overall the results of this large community-based study do not provide evidence to support the presence of important associations between variants of COMT, DBH, or MAO-A and smoking initiation or persistent smoking.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)116-122
Number of pages7
JournalPreventive Medicine
Volume47
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2008

Keywords

  • COMT
  • Cigarette smoking
  • DBH
  • MAO-A
  • Tobacco

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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