The role of neurotrophin genes involved in the vulnerability to gambling disorder

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 6925 - 11
• Main Authors: Solé-Morata, Neus, Baenas, Isabel, Etxandi, Mikel, Granero, Roser, Forcales, Sonia V., Gené, Manel, Barrot, Carme, Gómez-Peña, Mónica, Menchón, José M., Ramoz, Nicolás, Gorwood, Philip, Fernández-Aranda, Fernando, Jiménez-Murcia, Susana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 28.04.2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 692/53/2423; 692/699/476/5; Addictions; Addictive behaviors; Biomedical research; Brain research; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Gambling; Gambling - genetics; Gene Frequency; Gene polymorphism; Genes; Genetic factors; Genetics; Genomes; Haplotypes; Health sciences; Heritability; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Impulsivity; Life Sciences; Linkage disequilibrium; Medicine; Mental disorders; Mental health; multidisciplinary; Nerve growth factor; Nerve growth factor receptors; Nerve Growth Factors - genetics; Neurobiology; Neurons and Cognition; Neurosciences; Parkinson's disease; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Regulation; Regulatory sequences; Risk factors; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Signal transduction; Single-nucleotide polymorphism
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10391-w

Evidence about the involvement of genetic factors in the development of gambling disorder (GD) has been assessed. Among studies assessing heritability and biological vulnerability for GD, neurotrophin (NTF) genes have emerged as promising targets, since a growing literature showed a possible link between NTF and addiction-related disorders. Thus, we aimed to explore the role of NTF genes and GD with the hypothesis that some NTF gene polymorphisms could constitute biological risk factors. The sample included 166 patients with GD and 191 healthy controls. 36 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from NTFs (NGF, NGFR, NTRK1, BDNF, NTRK2, NTF3, NTRK3, NTF4, CNTF and CNTFR) were selected and genotyped. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype constructions were analyzed, in relationship with the presence of GD. Finally, regulatory elements overlapping the identified SNPs variants associated with GD were searched. The between groups comparisons of allele frequencies indicated that 6 SNPs were potentially associated with GD. Single and multiple-marker analyses showed a strong association between both NTF3 and NTRK2 genes, and GD. The present study supports the involvement of the NTF family in the aetiopathogenesis of GD. An altered cross-regulation of different NTF members signalling pathways might be considered as a biological vulnerability factor for GD.