Association between heroin dependence and 5-HT2A receptor gene polymorphisms
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2026

A Protocol for Measuring Cue Reactivity in a Rat Model of Cocaine Use Disorder
Published on: June 18, 2018
P A Sáiz1, M P García-Portilla, C Arango
1Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain. frank@uniovi.es
Objective:
To investigate the association between four polymorphisms of the 5-HT(2A) receptor and 5-HT transporter genes and heroin dependence.
Methods:
113 heroin- dependent patients (DSM-IV criteria) and 420 unrelated healthy controls from Asturias (Northern Spain) were genotyped using standard methods.
Results:
There was an apparent difference in the distribution of genotypes for A-1438G polymorphisms (p = 0.024, not significant after Bonferroni correction). The 5-HT(2A) -1438A allele was significantly more common in patients than controls [0.55 and 0.45, respectively; corrected p = 0.042, OR = 1.51 (95% CI = 1.13-2.03)]. An interaction was observed between A-1438G of 5-HT(2A) and 5-HTT polymorphisms. The association between the -1438AA vs. AG/GG genotypes and heroin dependence was enhanced in the presence of 12-repeat 5-HTT VNTR and short 5-HTTLPR alleles [24.8% in heroin-dependent patients vs. 12.6% in controls; corrected p = 0.045, OR = 2.28 (95% CI = 1.36-3.82)].
Conclusions:
Our findings support a contribution of the 5-HT(2A) gene to susceptibility to heroin dependence, as well as a possible synergistic effect of 5-HT(2A) and 5-HTT genes on susceptibility to heroin dependence.
Related Concept Videos
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Metabolism: Overview
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Transporters: P-Glycoprotein and Solute Carrier Transporters
Principles of Pharmacogenetics: Types of Genetic Variants