Furthermore, we demonstrated a possible gene-gene interaction of CHRNA4 and CHRNB2 on ND in a dose-dependent manner: those smokers with CHRNA4 rs1044397 GG or GA genotypes along with CHRNB2 rs4845652 CC genotype are likely to demonstrate higher ND scores.
Univariate (single-marker) family-based association tests (FBATs) demonstrated that variant alleles at two SNPs, rs1044396 and rs1044397, in exon 5 of the CHRNA4 gene were significantly associated with a protective effect against nicotine addiction as either a dichotomized trait or a quantitative phenotype (i.e., age-adjusted FTND and RTQ scores), which was consistent with the results of the global haplotype FBAT.
These findings suggest that CHRNA4 may be associated with smoking initiation and the C-G haplotype of rs1044396-rs1044397 might increase the vulnerability to nicotine dependence in Chinese male smokers.
In addition, rs755203 and rs1044397 in CHRNA4 might play a role in the pathophysiology of nicotine dependence in healthy controls in the Japanese population.