OBJECTIVE: This study has been carried out to explore the genetic causes of bipolar disorder by comparing the frequency of Tryptophan Hydroxylase (TPH) A218C polymorphism between bipolar disorder patients and normal controls, and to explore the relation between clinical characteristics of bipolar disorder patients and TPH polymorphism. METHODS: The genotype and allele frequencies of TPH in the genome of 113 hospitalized patients with bipolar disorder was compared with those of 124 normal control subjects using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. The association between TPH A218C polymorphism and clinical characteristics in bipolar disorder patients were explored. RESULTS: The distributions of TPH A218C polymorphism between the patients with bipolar disorder and normal control subjects show no difference statistically. There was a significant difference in the distribution of TPH genotype by clinical characteristics. The frequency of C allele is significantly higher in patients with a history of suicidal attempts. The frequency of A allele is significantly higher in patients with family history of bipolar disorder. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that suicidal attempts and family history in the patients with bipolar disorder are clearly associated with TPH A218C polymorphism and may explain, in part, the biological basis for these typologies.
Alleles ; Bipolar Disorder* ; Gene Frequency ; Genome ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Suicide ; Tryptophan Hydroxylase* ; Tryptophan*

Lithium is a commonly prescribed drug for bipolar disorder. Because of the narrow therapeutic range, lithium intoxication continues to be prevalent. Drugs that alter renal function such as ACEI, ARB, NSAIDS, and thiazide can increase the risk of chronic lithium toxicity even to stable patients. A 65-year old woman was admitted for hand tremor, cognitive impairment, and lethargy. A medical history included major depressive disorder, mitral stenosis, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension. Her prescription included lithium, quetiapine, digoxin, furosemide, and warfarin. She recently received Atacand Plus (candesartan plus thiazide) for hypertension. At the time of admission, the patient was drowsy and confused. The serum lithium level was 4.25 mEq/L. The patient received hydration. Due to neurologic complications and the degree of lithium toxicity, a total of three sessions of hemodialysis were performed, and the post-dialysis serum lithium level was 0.54 mEq/L. The neurologic symptoms recovered completely after a third dialysis session.
Aged ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Bipolar Disorder ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Dialysis ; Digoxin ; Female ; Furosemide ; Hand ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Lethargy ; Lithium* ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Poisoning* ; Prescriptions ; Renal Dialysis* ; Tremor ; Warfarin ; Quetiapine Fumarate

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the general predictive factors of change in drinking behavior and to provide materials for preventing drinking problems during early adulthood through examining genetic and psychosocial factors affecting the change of drinking behavior in college students. METHODS: The subjects were 101 male college students, a part of 534 students who had completed the previous study in 2000. In the present study as a 6-years follow up, we reassessed the drinking pattern and psychosocial variables and compared the results with previous data of the same subjects. To identify factors affecting the current drinking pattern, we used stepwise multiple regression and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: D allele (ALDH2) was found to reduce the degree of drinking and suppress problematic drinking, and C allele (TPH) had a suppression effect on problematic drinking. Drinking motive had a direct effect on the degree of drinking and problematic drinking. Negative cognitive expectancy had a direct effect on problematic drinking. CONCLUSION: Authors found some factors affecting the change of alcohol drinking behavior in college students and confirmed that there were hierarchies of significance among these factors. These may be applicable as variables for predicting drinking behavior in early adulthood.
Alcohol Drinking ; Alleles ; Drinking Behavior* ; Drinking* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male* ; Psychology*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe technological development, caring attributes and professional self-concept as perceived by nurses in YanBian. METHOD: Data were collected using an instrument containing 137 Likert items was administered to 477 RN's working in general hospitals in YanBian. The instrument contained sections which examined technological influences questionnaire(TIQ), caring attributes questionnaire(CAQ), and professional self-concept nursing inventory(PSCNI). RESULT: Descriptive and inferential statistics revealed by marital status and position. Married, working special ward nurses reported a higher TIQ score than that of unmarried and working general ward and OPD. PSCNI and CAQ score of head or supervisor nurses were higher than that of staff nurses. Subjects revealed very low score of CAQ, while PSCNI score was higher than that of other Asian countries such as Korea, Beijing China, HongKong China and Japan as proved in former study. CONCLUSION: Useful information for educators and nurse administrators is provided from this results. Further study needs to be done to discuss in the light of cultural and environmental differences between YanBian(Korean-Chinese) and Korean nurses.

OBJECTIVE: We determined whether aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) activity alters the way in which drinking behaviors are affected by gene polymorphisms of other alcohol-metabolizing enzymes and serotonin-related proteins. METHODS: Through a follow-up survey with a cohort comprising 551 university freshmen over a period of 6 years, we examined the genetic factors affecting drinking behaviors. In 2000, drinking behaviors were assessed and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) and ALDH2 gene polymorphisms were determined. Drinking behaviors were repeated in 2006 (n=150), and the gene polymorphisms of ADH1B, ADH1C, CYP2E1, 5-HTR2A 1438A/G, and 5-HTR2A IVS2 were also determined. RESULTS: In 2000, the variant and wild-type ALDH2 groups exhibited little difference in terms of drinking frequency and problem drinking. Furthermore, some genotypes influenced only the variant group: ADH1B*2/*2 was associated with a lower drinking frequency, and CYP2E1 c2 allele was associated with an increased risk of problem drinking. In 2006, drinking frequency and risk of problem drinking were significantly lower in the variant group than in the wild-type group. However, the TPH AA genotype disturbed that difference, meaning that the subjects in the variant group had developed a similar level of risk of problem drinking to that in the wild-type group. CONCLUSION: Korean university freshmen who were identified as a variant group drank as frequently as those in the wild-type group. For the subsequent 6 years they drank less frequently, thus decreasing the risk of problem drinking. However, that frequency drop was interrupted in those with gene polymorphisms such as ADH1B*1, CYP2E1 c2, and TPH A.
Aldehyde Dehydrogenase ; Alleles ; Cohort Studies ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 ; Drinking ; Drinking Behavior ; Follow-Up Studies ; Genotype ; Humans ; Tryptophan Hydroxylase ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to explore the association among DRD4 polymorphism, temperament and alcohol drinking behavior of Koreans in their early adulthood. METHOD: Participants were 172 healthy Korean adults (mean age 28.1 +/- 0.8). Their temperament was assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and their alcohol drinking behavior were evaluated with a self-reported questionnaire including the CAGE and the Korean version of Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT-K). DRD4 exon III 48 base pair variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) was genotyped by PCR. RESULTS: No significant association was found between DRD4 polymorphism and TCI temperament dimension (novelty seeking, harm avoidance, reward dependence, and persistence) as well as alcohol drinking behavior scales. However, novelty seeking was significantly associated with alcohol drinking behavior. The higher level of novelty seeking was associated with the higher severity index of drinking (B = -0.225, p < 0.001) and problematic alcohol use on the CAGE and AUDIT-K [Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.111, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.021-1.209, p = 0.015, OR = 1.087, 95% CI 1.009-1.170, p = 0.028]. CONCLUSION: In our study, while there is no significant association of DRD4 polymorphism with temperament and alcohol drinking behavior, novelty seeking affects problematic alcohol use. Results suggest that novelty seeking may play an important role in problematic alcohol use in young Korean adults.
Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Base Pairing ; Dopamine ; Drinking ; Exons ; Humans ; Minisatellite Repeats ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptors, Dopamine D4 ; Reward ; Temperament ; Weights and Measures ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: It is well-known that Korean people show distinctive drinking behaviors depending on the gene polymorphisms of alcohol metabolizing enzymes. This study examined the gene polymorphisms of ALDH2 and ADH1B and their combination on the drinking behaviors of Korean young adults. METHODS: Through a follow-up survey performed for a cohort consisting of 551 university freshmen for six years, the authors attempted to identify genetic factors affecting drinking behaviors. In 2000, drinking behaviors and scores of CAGE questionnaires were assessed and ALDH2 gene polymorphism was determined with PCR-RFLP. In 2006(n= 150), AUDIT-K was assessed in addition to the above and gene polymorphism of ADH1B was determined through SNaPshottrade mark method. RESULTS: While ALDH2*2 allele was associated with increased degree of drinking in 2000 and 2006. When both enzymes were active, the possibility to be classified into the risk group for alcohol dependence such as AUDIT-K(>12), and CAGE(>2) was high. CONCLUSION: The ALDH2 genotype had a significant effect on drinking behavior and degree of drinking during early adulthood. However, the combination of the active form of ADH1B and the active form of ALDH2 can be risk factor for problem drinking.
Alcoholism ; Alleles ; Cohort Studies ; Drinking ; Drinking Behavior ; Follow-Up Studies ; Genotype ; Humans ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: This study compared covert narcissistic propensity in adolescents with internet addiction tendency to normal adolescents. Further, we investigated the correlation between such propensities and anonymity in cyberspace, presence feeling and interactivity in internet gaming, and achievement motivation in adolescents with internet addiction tendencies. METHODS: Male middle school students with internet addiction tendencies (Addiction Tendency Group, N=27) and normal students (Control Group, N=29) were recruited. The scale of internet use, Covert Narcissism Scale, scale of achievement motivation, scale of anonymity in cyberspace, scale of presence feeling in internet games, and the scale of interactivity in internet games were administered. A comparison of the average scores and correlation analyses were performed. RESULTS: 1) Compared with Control Group, the Addiction Tendency Group showed significantly higher scores on all subscales of the Covert Narcissism Scale, and both the scale of presence feeling and that of interactivity in internet games. Further, the score on the scale of achievement motivation for the Addiction Tendency Group was significantly lower than that of the Control Group. 2) In the Addiction Tendency Group, the scores on several subscales of the Covert Narcissism Scale were significantly positively correlated with the scores on the scale of presence feeling in internet games, anonymity in cyberspace, and interactivity in internet games. However, in the Control Group, the scores of several subscales on the Covert Narcissism Scale were significantly negatively correlated with the score on the scale of achievement motivation, and was significantly positively correlated with the score on the scale of interactivity in internet games. There were no other significant correlations between the scores on the subscales of the Covert Narcissism Scale and the scores of either presence feeling in internet games or anonymity in cyberspace. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that adolescents with a tendency to be addicted to the internet exhibited higher covert narcissistic propensities than normal adolescents and that the covert narcissistic tendencies were related with presence feeling in cyber games as well as with anonymity in cyberspace.
Achievement ; Adolescent ; Anonyms and Pseudonyms ; Humans ; Internet ; Male ; Motivation ; Narcissism

OBJECTIVES: This study was to investigate in vivo activities of Polygalae Radix, a natural plant including active components having affinities to central nervous system receptors, using an animal model for psychotic disorders in terms of behavioral psychopharmacology. METHODS: The extracts of Polygalae Radix in two concentrations of 5.0mg/g and 0..5mg/g were administered to mice in order to explore the suppression of apomorphine-induced stereotyped behaviors visually and to compare with the effects of haloperidol and control. 10 mice were tested in each groups. RESULTS: The capacities of suppressing the apomorphine-induced stereotyped behaviors were observed in decreasing order of haloperidol, Polygalae Radix 5.0mg/g, Polygalae Radix 0..5mg/g and control. The extracts of Polygalae Radix in both concentrations suppressed apomorphine- induced stereotyped behaviors significantly, and Polygalae Radix 5.0mg/g was as potent as haloperidol. CONCLUSION: This suggests that Polygalae Radix contain some effective ingredients to influence the central dopamine pathway in vivo. The identification of the chemical structures and the exploration of the biochemical and pharmacological characteristics of active components are to be required through further studies.
Animals ; Apomorphine ; Central Nervous System ; Dopamine ; Haloperidol ; Mice* ; Models, Animal ; Plants ; Polygala* ; Psychopharmacology ; Psychotic Disorders ; Stereotyped Behavior*

OBJECTIVES: The authors purposed to present data for explaining gene-environmental interaction causing depressive disorder by examining the effects of genetic factors related to the serotonin system and environmental factors such as stressful life events in early adulthood. METHODS: The subjects were 150 young adults(mean age 25.0+/-0.54), a part of 534 freshmen who had completed the previous study of genotyping of TPH1 gene. We assessed characteristics of life events, depression and anxiety scale and checked if they had a depressive disorder with DSM-IV SCID interview. Along with TPH1 A218C genotype confirmed in previous study, TPH2 -1463G/A and 5HTR2A -1438A/G genes were genotyped using the SNaPshotTM method. RESULTS: In comparison with the group without C allele of TPH1 gene, the number of life events had a significant effect on the probability of depressive disorder in the group with C allele. Other alleles or genotypes did not have a significant effect on the causality of life events and depressive disorder. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that TPH1 C allele is a significant predictor of onset of depressive disorder following environmental stress. It means that the TPH1 gene may affect the gene-environmental interaction of depressive disorder.
Alleles ; Anxiety ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Gene-Environment Interaction ; Genotype ; Serotonin ; Stress, Psychological ; Tryptophan Hydroxylase