Genetics of individual differences in smoking initiation and persistence

Reseacher: Ms. J.M. (Jacqueline) Vink.

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that is more addictive than most illicit drugs. The development of nicotine dependence requires smoking initiation prior to the development of dependence itself. In the past years we have collected longitudinal data on smoking and associated risk factors in twins during the critical developmental period of adolescence to young adulthood. These twins come from Dutch families consisting of the twins, their parents, and siblings. In 2000 a fifth questionnaire is sent to these same families to assess nicotine dependence. Using the differential social and genetic relatedness of mono- and dizygotic twins, siblings, parents and offspring and spouses, we want to investigate to which extent individual differences in nicotine use and in associated risk factors are influenced by genetic factors, shared family environment (including cultural transmission), and by environmental experiences that are unique to an individual. We want to identify those dimensions of smoking behavior that are largely influenced by shared environmental factors and characterize these factors and we want to identify dimensions of smoking behavior and associated risk factors that are highly heritable and that lend themselves for genetic linkage analysis. For this purpose, DNA samples of the most informative sibling pairs and their parents will be collected.

Ms Vink started this project in August 1999 and completed it in 2003.

If you want to know more about this project, please contact the NTR secretary.