Del Arbol J L, Rico Irles J, Contreras I, Aguirre J C, Raya J, Ruiz Requena M E, Miranda M T
Departamento de Medicina, Hospital Clínico de San Cecilio, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Granada.
An Med Interna. 2007 Jun;24(6):273-7.
Of the factors identified in different studies as the possible causes of alcoholism, heredity appears to be the most important. However, environmental factors can increase or decrease the risk of an individual developing alcohol dependence.
To clarify the possible influence of heredity on alcoholism, we studied the plasma concentration of beta-endorphins in 25 families with alcoholic members: 27 children whose father was alcoholic and 7 whose father and mother were both alcoholics. The results were compared with finding in an age-matched control group of no-drinking adults and normal children in non-drinking families.
The children of alcoholic parents had significantly lower beta-endorphin levels (p < 0.001) than control individuals, and concentrations were especially low when both parents were alcoholics.
We conclude that plasma beta-endorphin concentration may have predictive value in identifying persons likely to become alcoholics.
在不同研究中确定的可能导致酗酒的因素里，遗传似乎是最重要的。然而，环境因素会增加或降低个体发展为酒精依赖的风险。
为阐明遗传对酗酒可能产生的影响，我们研究了25个有酗酒成员的家庭中β-内啡肽的血浆浓度：27名父亲酗酒的儿童以及7名父母均酗酒的儿童。将结果与年龄匹配的无饮酒习惯成年人对照组以及非饮酒家庭中的正常儿童的研究结果进行比较。
酗酒父母的子女的β-内啡肽水平显著低于对照组个体（p < 0.001），当父母双方均酗酒时，浓度尤其低。
我们得出结论，血浆β-内啡肽浓度在识别可能成为酗酒者的人群方面可能具有预测价值。
