The clock gene PER2 and sleep problems: Association with alcohol consumption among Swedish adolescents

Abstract

BackgroundAlcohol abuse is associated with sleep problems, which are often linked to circadian rhythm disturbances. Previous studies have separately examined the effects of mutations in the clock gene PER2 on alcohol consumption and sleep problems. Here we hypothesized that an allelic variation in the PER2 gene is associated with alcohol consumption in interaction with sleep problems among adolescents.MethodsThe Survey of Adolescent Life and Health in Västmanland 2006, a Swedish county, including 1254 students 17–18 years old, was used as a population-representative sample of adolescents. We investigated the PER2 Single Nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) 10870 (A/G) in the cohort together with an assessment of alcohol consumption according to the AUDIT-C questionnaire, and sleep problems using a survey consisting of 18 items. Furthermore, we carried out an exploratory analysis on the PER2 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism 10870 polymorphism in a group of severely alcoholic females.ResultsWe found a significant association of the SNP 10870 in adolescent boys, where the genotype AA, in the presence of several and frequent sleep problems, was associated with increased alcohol consumption. Among adolescent girls, only sleep problems were related to alcohol consumption. A non-significant trend was observed among the severely alcoholic females, with the G allele being over-represented in the severely alcoholic females group in comparision to the control females.ConclusionThese results indicate that PER2 gene variation is associated with alcohol consumption in interaction with sleep problems among Swedish adolescent boys.

Clock genes in human alcohol abuse and comorbid conditions

“…PER2 rs56013859 did associate with the increased alcohol use, as assessed with the Alcohol-use Disorders Identification Test questionnaire, among adolescent men, and had the interaction with sleep-related symptoms, in a population-based sample of 1254 socially drinking adolescents (Comasco et al, 2010), whereas PER2 rs56013859 did not associate with alcohol use, as assessed in grams per kilogram per week, in 512 cases with alcohol-use disorder or 511 controls from a population-based sample . In a cohort of 268 young adults, aged 19 years, PER2 rs56013859 was associated with alcohol consumption, the G allele being the protective one (Blomeyer et al, 2013).…”

“…However, in a sample of 110 women with alcohol dependence who were recruited from a long-term in-patient treatment facility, there was no association of PER2 rs56013859 with alcohol dependence. Rather, the G allele was over-represented among these patients, as compared to the adolescent female controls (Comasco et al, 2010).…”

Circadian Clock and Stress Interactions in the Molecular Biology of Psychiatric Disorders

“…In human studies, variants in several clock genes have been associated with various alcohol-related phenotypes: BMAL1/2 (ARNTL1/2) variants are associated with alcohol dependence and alcohol intake [117]; PER1 with alcohol consumption in adolescents and adult alcoholics [113]; PER2 with high alcohol intake and interaction with insomnia and alcohol consumption in young males [35,118]; and CLOCK with co-morbid AUD and depressive disorders [119]. Using a bioluminescent Per2::luc reporter to measure gene expression rhythms in human fibroblasts, a relationship between AUD severity and rhythms was found, in which the more severely affected alcoholics had shorter circadian periods, consistent with the studies of alcohol-preferring mice [120].…”

Somnolencia y características del sueño en escolares de un distrito urbano de Lima, Perú

“…Sobre el consumo de alcohol y el hábito de fumar, ambos han sido asociados de forma independiente al desarrollo de trastornos del sueño, entre ellos, la somnolencia. 20,21 Los mecanismos causales son diversos; incluyen desde la interacción con variantes genéticas susceptibles al desarrollo de somnolencia 22 hasta la desincronización de las etapas del sueño e insomnio debido al efecto excitador o ansioso que producen. 20,21 Lo importante de estos factores es que son potencialmente corregibles, con recuperación del estado de actividad diurna de los adolescentes.…”