Identified Susceptibility Loci for Nicotine Addiction Based on Genome-Wide Linkage Analyses

To identify susceptibility loci for smoking dependence, more than 20 genome-wide linkage studies have been conducted in different populations using a variety of nicotine dependence (ND) assessment approaches, including smoking quantity (SQ), Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI), Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), ever smoking, habitual smoking, or maximum number of cigarettes smoked in a 24 h period (CPD). This chapter provides a critical summary of the susceptibility loci identified for ND and related measures. Although a great number of identified genomic regions did not reach the level of “suggestive” or “significant” linkage or failed to be replicated in independent studies, 14 regions, located on chromosomes 3–7, 9–11, 17, 20, and 22, have been found to be “suggestive” or “significant” linkages in at least two independent samples. Among them, the regions on chromosomes 9 (9q21.33-q33), 10, 11, and 17 have received the strongest support and deserve more attention in future genetic studies on ND.