Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

Rapid Fractionation and Isolation of Whole Blood Components in Samples Obtained from a Community-based Setting
Published on: November 30, 2015
Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism, alcohol use, and their interactions in combat-related posttraumatic stress
Tae Yong Kim1, Hae Gyung Chung, Han-Sang Shin
1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Veterans Health Service Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Background:
The symptomatology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is related not only to the intensity of the causative trauma, but also to alcohol use and genetic factors. Among the many candidate genes, the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) is thought to be associated with stress reactivity.
Methods:
Korean veterans of the Vietnam War with (n = 128) or without (n = 128) PTSD participated in this study. The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale and Combat Exposure Scale were administered, and the severity of alcohol use was assessed among these veterans. The APOE polymorphism and clinical variables of the subjects were compared, and associations between PTSD and potential explanatory variables were tested using logistic regression analysis.
Results:
Higher frequencies of APOE ε2 alleles and a greater number of individuals with the ε2 allele were found in the PTSD group. Among patients with PTSD, ε2-allele noncarriers consumed alcohol in greater amounts and more frequently than did ε2-allele carriers. Regression analysis revealed a significant interactional effect between harmful drinking and the absence of the ε2 allele associated with PTSD risk.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that the APOE ε2 allele operates as a susceptibility gene for combat-related PTSD, with the relationship between alcohol use and PTSD differing according to the ε2-allele status. Future studies should determine the role of the APOE in adaptation to extreme stress, the development of PTSD, and comorbid alcohol-related disorders.
More Related Videos
09:38Generalized Psychophysiological Interaction (PPI) Analysis of Memory Related Connectivity in Individuals at Genetic Risk for Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: November 14, 2017
05:12Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu
Human Genetics
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
Drug Toxicity: Risk factors
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...