Razavi Journal of Medicine

Razavi Journal of Medicine

Association of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism with Amphetamine and Opioid dependency in Azeri population of Iran: A case- control study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Shahroh Amiri 1
Sina Dezhampoor 2
Narges Zeinalzadeh 3
Arash Mohagheghi 4
Habibeh Barzegar 5
Leila Mehdizadeh Fanid 6
1 Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2 Resident of Psychiatry, Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3 Assistance Professor of Molecular Genetics, Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
4 Assistant professor of Psychiatry, Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
5 Health psychology, Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
6 Associate Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
10.30483/rijm.2025.254584.1375
Abstract
Background: Emerging evidence suggests a link between the Val66Met polymorphism of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and an increased risk of neurobehavioral disorders (reference here). The present study aims to elucidate the potential relationship between this genotype and the predisposition to amphetamine and opiate dependencies among the Iranian Azeri population. Through rigorous analysis and comprehensive genetic profiling, this research endeavors to contribute valuable insights into the complex interplay between genetic factors and substance dependency in this specific ethnic group.
 
Methods: A cohort of 150 participants was recruited for this study, consisting of 133 males and 17 females in the treatment group, alongside 100 controls, comprising 74 males and 26 females. Genotyping procedures utilized PCR-RFLP genotyping.
 
Results: Comprehensive analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in the distribution of genotypes and alleles of the BDNF gene polymorphism (rs6265) between the case and control cohorts. The control group’s GG and AA genotypes were higher than the case group’s, while the control group’s AG genotype was lower than the case group’s, but statistically significant difference was not showed (p > 0.05).
 
Conclusion: The outcomes of this rigorously designed study fail to substantiate a significant correlation between the Val66Met polymorphism of the BDNF gene and the susceptibility to amphetamine and opiate dependency. This finding adds a new piece of the puzzle to our understanding of genetic predispositions in substance dependence.
Keywords
Amphetamine
Addiction
BDNF gene
Opiate
Val66Met

Acknowledgements: The authors express their sincere gratitude to all the participants who generously volunteered their time and effort for this study.

 

Availability of data and materials: The data supporting the findings of this research is available upon request from the corresponding author.

 

Conflicts of interests: The authors declare that there are no competing interests.

 

Consent for publication: Not applicable.

 

Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted according to the principles of the Helsinki declaration. The information of all participants remained completely anonymous. This research protocol was approved by the ethics committee of Tabriz University of Medical sciences (code no. 5/4/12152).The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

 

Financial disclosure: This research was financially supported by the Research Centre of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

 

Author contributions: LMF, NZ, SD contributed to the study design and lab experiments. SA, HB & SD performed statistical analyses of data, interpretation of data. SA & AM supervised the study and contributed to all parts of the paper. LMF wrote the paper and all authors read and approved the final version of the paper.

 

 

Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Razavi Journal of Medicine
Volume 13, Issue 2
Spring 2025
Pages 39-47