Rs279858

This SNP in the GABRA2 gene has been linked to Alcoholism. The effect of this SNP, a synonymous change at amino acid residue 132, is unknown, but it does not change the GABRA2 protein sequence.

Carriers of at least one rs279858(G) allele respond slower to the effects of alcohol and are thereby apparently more prone to alcoholism than carriers of two rs279858(A) alleles. Finasteride, an FDA approved drug for the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy and a modulator of GABRA2, was shown to have more of a blocking effect on rs279858(A) homozygotes.

Note that nearby SNPs have been grouped into a haplotype that shows statistically stronger association with alcohol dependence, namely the haplotype consisting of the rs279871(A) + rs279845(T) + rs279836(A) alleles.

1050 nicotine-dependent cases and 879 non-dependent smoking controls rs279858 and rs16859834 aka rs2229940