이 연구는 MAOA CA 반복 유전자다형성에 따라 알코올의존 환자에서 행동 및 성격특성 그리고 임상양상의 차이를 알아봄으로써 유전자형과 표현형과의 관계를 알아보기 위해 수행되었다. 이 연구 결과 임상양상에서 S군에 비해 L군의 임상양상이 보다 부정적인 양상을 보이고 있었다. 이는 MAOA CA 반복 유전자다형성이 음주양상을 변화시키는 역할을 할 가능성을 시사하고 있다. 그렇지만 이러한 영향이 유전자의 직접적인 인과관계로 설명하기는 어렵고 간접적이고 이차적인 영향에 따른 결과로 생각해 볼 수 있겠다. 또한, 행동특성에서 L군이 S군에 비해 전체적으로 공격성이 많았고 자기주장적 태도가 강했다. 그리고 MAOA CA 반복 유전자다형성의 대립유전자 길이가 자기주장적 태도와 상관관계가 있었으며 이러한 자기주장적 태도를 MAOA CA 반복 유전자다형성의 대립유전자 길이가 부분적으로 설명하고 있었고, 자기주장적 태도가 강한 환자의 경우 길이가 긴 대립유전자를 가질 가능성이 많았다. 공격성도 그 자체가 여러 가지 측면을 가지고 있는 복합적인 행동특성이기 때문에 전체 공격성을 어느 하나의 유전자만으로 설명할 수 있을 것으로 기대하는 것은 비현실적이다. 그렇지만 이 연구에서 자기주장적 태도는 분화된 공격성의 한 측면이어서 MAOA CA 반복 유전자다형성이 일부분이지만 설명을 할 수 있다는 것을 시사하고 있어, 연구자들은 이 연구가 향후 유전자형이 공격성 같은 표현형을 설명하는 연구들에 있어 기초자료가 될 수 있을 것으로 생각된다. 아직까지 MAOA CA 반복 유전자다형성과 MAOA 활성도와의 관계가 명확하지 않고 대사산물과의 관계도 설명이 어려운 실정이어서 향후 이에 대한 연구들이 필요하겠다.
There are several candidate genes in genetic study of alcoholism. Among them, allelic associations have been reported between MAOA CA repeat polymorphism and alcohol dependence, recently. And also, several studies have been investigated genotype-phenotype relationships between MAOA CA repeat polymorphism and clinical manifestations. The authors tried to identify differences in allelic frequency of MAOA CA repeat polymorphism between alcohol dependence and controls, and in behavioral trait and clinical characteristics according to MAOA CA repeat polymorphism. We also tried to investigate genotype-phenotype relationships between MAOA CA repeat polymorphism and behavioral trait such as aggression. We examined 49 male patients with alcohol dependence(DSM-IV) who had been admitted in Yong-In Mental Hospital from June 1st 1998 to October 31th 1998. We performed semistructured interview for demographic and clinical characteristics. Self-report questionnaire for BDHI(Buss-Durkey Hostility Inventory) was given to all subject at least 4weeks later after admission. Using polymerase chain reaction and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, MAOA CA repeat polymorphism were observed in 52 male controls and 49 male patients with alcohol dependence. We devided alcoholic patients into two groups according to allelic length of MAOA CA repeat polymorphism ; alcoholics with short alleles(${leq}$119bp, N=20) and alcoholics with long alleles(${geq}$123bp, N=29). T-test, ${chi}^2$-test and Fisher exact probability test were used for statistical analysis. There were no significant differences in frequency of each allele and short and long alleles of MAOA CA repeat polymorphism between alcoholics and controls. But there were significant differences in clinical symptoms and behavioral trait between alcoholics with short and long alleles. In clinical symptoms, alcoholics with long alleles used alcohol more frequently during one month before admission, had much more maximum amount of beer drinking and reported withdrawal seizure more frequently than with short alleles. In contrary, alcoholics with short alleles expressed depressed mood and guilty feeling more frequently and wanted complete abstinence as a treatment goal more frequently than with long alleles. In behavioral trait, alcoholics with long alleles had higher total aggression score and showed much more self-assertive attitude(subscale of expression of aggression) than with short alleles. Allelic length of MAOA CA repeat polymorphism was correlated with self-assertive attitude and accounted for 9% of the variance of self-assertive attitude. And also, predictable variables of allelic length of MAOA CA repeat polymorphism were drinking frequency and self-assertive attitude. Our findings suggest that MAOA CA repeat polymorphism may provide some behavior modifying role especially in self-assertive attitude and indirect symptom modifying role in Korean male alcoholics.
