We tested six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the alpha4 subunit gene (CHRNA4) and four SNPs in the beta2 subunit gene (CHRNB2) of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) for association with nicotine dependence (ND), which was assessed by smoking quantity (SQ), the heaviness of smoking index (HSI) and the Fagerstrom test for ND (FTND) in 2037 subjects from 602 nuclear families of either European-American (EA) or African-American (AA) ancestry. Analysis of the six SNPs within CHRNA4 demonstrated that in the EA sample SNPs rs2273504 and rs1044396 are significantly associated with the adjusted SQ and FTND score, respectively. In the AA samples, SNPs rs3787137 and rs2236196 are each significantly associated with at least two adjusted ND measures. Association of rs2236196 with the adjusted HSI and FTND scores in the AA samples remained significant after correction for multiple testing. Furthermore, analysis revealed gender- and ethnic-specific associations for several SNPs with ND measures in both ethnic samples; however, only the association of SNP rs2236196 with the three adjusted ND measures remained significant after correcting for multiple testing in the AA female samples. Haplotype analysis of rs2273505-rs2273504-rs2236196 showed significant association after Bonferroni correction of a C-G-G haplotype (53.4%) with three adjusted ND measures in samples from the AA females. A similar analysis for the four SNPs within CHRNB2 did not reveal significant association with the three ND measures. In summary, our findings provide convincing evidence for the involvement of the nAChR alpha4 subunit, but not of the nAChR beta2 subunit, in nicotine addiction.

SignificanceGlaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. The primary and only modifiable risk factor for the development of glaucoma is elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), and lowering IOP effectively slows glaucomatous disease progression. Unfortunately, the majority of available treatments do not target, or intentionally bypass, the diseased and stiffened glaucomatous outflow tissues responsible for IOP elevation. We recently established that conventional outflow tissue stiffness reflects tissue function. Therefore, detection of outflow tissue stiffness using noncontact, noninvasive optical coherence tomography, as we here demonstrate in an animal model of glaucoma, represents a valuable tool for assessing outflow tissue functional status. Such technology has the potential to monitor recently approved treatments targeting the outflow tissues, and to inform glaucoma surgery decisions.

Background: Although many years of genetic epidemiological studies have demonstrated that genetics plays a significant role in determining smoking behavior, little information is available on genomic loci or genes affecting nicotine dependence. Several susceptibility chromosomal regions for nicotine dependence have been reported, but few have received independent confirmation. To identify susceptibility loci for nicotine dependence, 313 extended pedigrees selected from the Framingham Heart Study population were analyzed by both the GENEHUNTER and S.A.G.E. programs.

Despite a high prevalence of tobacco use and tobacco-related disease in Mississippi, primary care providers in Mississippi provide tobacco cessation interventions at an unacceptably low frequency relative to other regions. Training is likely to increase the frequency of intervention behaviours.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that genetic factors account for at least 50% of the liability for nicotine dependence (ND). Although several linkage studies have been conducted, all samples to date were primarily of European origin. In this study, we conducted a genomewide scan of 1,261 individuals, representing 402 nuclear families, of African American (AA) origin. We examined 385 autosomal microsatellite markers for ND, which was assessed by smoking quantity (SQ), the Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI), and the Fagerstrom Test for ND (FTND). After performing linkage analyses using various methods implemented in the GENEHUNTER and S.A.G.E. programs, we found a region near marker D10S1432 on chromosome 10q22 that showed a significant linkage to indexed SQ, with a maximum LOD score of 4.17 at 92 cM and suggestive linkage to HSI, SQ, and log-transformed SQ. Additionally, we identified three regions that met the criteria for suggestive linkage to at least one ND measure: on chromosomes 9q31 at marker D9S1825, 11p11 between markers D11S1993 and D11S1344, and 13q13 between markers D13S325 and D13S788. Other locations on chromosomes 15p11, 17q25, and 18q12 exhibited some evidence of linkage for ND (LOD >1.44). The four regions with significant or suggestive linkage were positive for multiple ND measures by multiple statistical methods. Some of these regions have been linked to smoking behavior at nominally significant levels in other studies, which provides independent replication of the regions for ND in different cohorts. In summary, we found significant linkage on chromosome 10q22 and suggestive linkage on chromosomes 9, 11, and 13 for major genetic determinants of ND in an AA sample. Further analysis of these positive regions by fine mapping and/or association analysis is thus warranted. To our knowledge, this study represents the first genomewide linkage scan of ND in an AA sample.