Karpyak, Victor

AbstractBackground and AimsSex‐related hormones and proteins may underlie sex differences in alcohol use disorder characteristics and consequences. Previous reports suggest steroid sex hormones may influence alcohol consumption behaviors while proteins that regulate their circulation levels are rarely investigated. Following up on our earlier study of individual sex‐related hormones' associations with alcohol dependence (AD), this study measured the associations between the combinations of sex‐related hormones and proteins and AD in a larger sample.DesignSex‐stratified case‐control comparison and clustering of plasma sex‐related hormone and protein levels, plus a genome‐wide association study on the AD‐associated hormone and protein combinations.SettingAddiction treatment programs in the United States.ParticipantsFour hundred treatment‐seeking recently abstained AD patients (median = 24.5 days) and 388 age‐and‐sex‐matched controls from a community biobank (male:female ≈ 2:1).MeasurementsPlasma levels of total testosterone, estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and albumin.FindingsIn males, we found higher E2 [β = 0.13, Punadjusted < 0.001, false discovery rate (FDR) = 0.005], progesterone (β = 0.01, Punadjusted = 0.025, FDR = 0.054), LH (β = 0.12, Punadjusted = 0.017, FDR = 0.044) and albumin (β = 0.09, Punadjusted < 0.001, FDR = 0.005) in AD patients than controls; in females, we observed lower E1 (β = −0.24, Punadjusted = 0.024, FDR = 0.113) and progesterone (β = −1.86, Punadjusted = 0.026, FDR = 0.113) and higher albumin (β = 0.18, Punadjusted < 0.001, FDR = 0.001) in AD patients than controls. Three principal components (PCs), reflecting hormone signatures, were statistically significantly associated with AD in each sex: PC1 (TT, E2 and SHBG; β = −0.15, P = 0.016), PC3 (E1, progesterone and albumin; β = 0.28, P = 0.007) and PC4 (SHBG and albumin; β = 0.34, P = 0.001) in males; PC3 (progesterone and albumin; β = −0.38, P = 0.009), PC4 (TT and albumin; β = −0.49, P = 0.001) and PC5 (TT and progesterone; β = 0.54, P = 0.004) in females. Statistically significant SNP × group associations were found in females between PC4 and polymorphisms in RP51004I9.1 (top SNP: rs6082693; P = 5.41E‐12) and in males between PC3 and a genomic locus that contained SLC35E4, DUSP18 and OSBP2 (top SNP: rs13053277; P = 1.77E‐07).ConclusionsThree sex‐related hormone and protein signatures appear to be associated with alcohol dependence in each sex. Peripheral levels of sex‐related hormones and proteins, as well as their combinations, could be altered in people with alcohol dependence who have abstained for a few weeks compared with controls, and such differences may be sex‐specific.

AbstractBackgroundWorkforce engagement can provide structure, income, feelings of accomplishment, and personal contacts, growing an individual's recovery capital (RC). Employed individuals are also more likely to complete addiction treatment. We sought to investigate whether changes in employment status from alcohol treatment admission to discharge correlated with changes in alcohol use frequency over those time points.MethodsThe Treatment Episode Dataset—Discharges (2017–2021) provided the data. Employment status (full‐time, part‐time, unemployed, and not in labor force) and alcohol use frequency (daily use, some use, and no use in past month) were assessed at treatment admission and discharge. Changes in alcohol use frequency during treatment were recorded as Reduction or No reduction. Logistic regression using reduced alcohol use frequency as the dependent variable included employment status at admission and discharge separately. A second analysis included employment status at both admission and discharge and their interaction term. An adjusted model included all covariates (race, ethnicity, age, education, and referral source), with its results being used to derive the marginal probabilities of reduced alcohol use frequency.ResultsThere were 856,085 alcohol treatment admissions over the 5 years, with 221,724 (25.9%) first admissions. Transitioning from not in the labor force or unemployed to full‐time saw the largest percentage of encounters decreasing alcohol use frequency: 71.9% (95% CI: 70.0–73.7) and 69.3% (95% CI: 68.1–70.5), respectively. Those remaining unemployed had the lowest reduction at 26.7% (95% CI: 26.3–27.1), with a sample reduction of 42.7% (95% CI: 42.5–42.9) overall. Far more people (60.4%) completed treatment within the Reduction group than in the No reduction group (30.2%).ConclusionsFindings suggest that improving employment status may be relevant for reducing alcohol use frequency. This aligns with past work showing overall improved health outcomes with lower unemployment levels. Incorporating vocational training and workforce engagement activities into outpatient treatment may help augment traditional approaches to improve an individual's RC.

Neuropeptides serve as neurohormones and local paracrine regulators that control neural networks regulating behavior, endocrine system and sensorimotor functions. Their expression is characterized by exceptionally restricted profiles. Circuit-specific and adaptive expression of neuropeptide genes may be defined by transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms controlled by cell type and subtype sequence-specific transcription factors, insulators and silencers. The opioid peptide dynorphins play a critical role in neurological and psychiatric disorders, pain processing and stress, while their mutations cause profound neurodegeneration in the human brain. In this review, we focus on the prodynorphin gene as a model for the in-depth epigenetic and transcriptional analysis of expression of the neuropeptide genes. Prodynorphin studies may provide a framework for analysis of mechanisms relevant for regulation of neuropeptide genes in normal and pathological human brain.

Objective: To assess for intrasex and intersex differences in psychiatric comorbidity according to ADHD status in treatment-seeking adults with alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Method: This study was a secondary analysis of data utilizing descriptive statistics from 472 treatment-seeking alcoholics who completed the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders (PRISM). Results: The prevalence of ADHD in males and females was 6.0% and 6.4%, respectively. Males with ADHD and AUDs had higher rates of current and lifetime drug use disorders, current depressive disorders, and current and lifetime anxiety disorders than male alcoholics without ADHD. No intrasex differences in psychiatric comorbidities were identified in female alcoholics with respect to ADHD status. Males with ADHD and AUDs were more likely to have had opioid dependence than ADHD-positive females. No other intersex differences were found. Conclusion: Positive ADHD status was associated with increased psychiatric comorbidity among treatment-seeking alcoholic men.

AbstractSex hormones play an important role in establishing sex‐distinctive brain structural and functional variations that could contribute to the sex differences in alcohol consumption behavior. Here, we systematically reviewed articles that studied sex hormone impacts on alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorder (AUD). An extensive literature search conducted in MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus and CINAHL databases identified 776 articles, which were then evaluated for pre‐specified criteria for relevance and quality assurance. A total of 50 articles, including 19 human studies and 31 animal studies, were selected for this review. Existing evidence supports the association of increased testosterone level and increased risk for alcohol use and AUD in males but results are inconclusive in females. In contrast, the evidence supports the association of increased estrogen level and increased alcohol use in females, with mixed findings reported in males. Much less is known about the impact of progestins on alcohol use and misuse in human subjects. Future observational and experimental studies conducted in both sexes with a comprehensive hormone panel are needed to elucidate the impact of the interplay between various sex hormone levels during various developmental stages on alcohol use‐related phenotypes and AUD.

Abstract Although the precise drug mechanism of action of acamprosate remains unclear, its antidipsotropic effect is mediated in part through glutamatergic neurotransmission. We evaluated the effect of 4 weeks of acamprosate treatment in a cohort of 13 subjects with alcohol dependence (confirmed by a structured interview, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision) on proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy glutamate levels in the midline anterior cingulate cortex (MACC). We compared levels of metabolites with a group of 16 healthy controls. The Pennsylvania Alcohol Craving Scale was used to assess craving intensity. At baseline, before treatment, the mean cerebrospinal fluid–corrected MACC glutamate (Glu) level was significantly elevated in subjects with alcohol dependence compared with controls (P = 0.004). Four weeks of acamprosate treatment reduced glutamate levels (P = 0.025), an effect that was not observed in subjects who did not take acamprosate. At baseline, there was a significant positive correlation between cravings, measured by the Pennsylvania Alcohol Craving Scale, and MACC (Glu) levels (P = 0.019). Overall, these data would suggest a normalizing effect of acamprosate on a hyperglutamatergic state observed in recently withdrawn patients with alcohol dependence and a positive association between MACC glutamate levels and craving intensity in early abstinence. Further research is needed to evaluate the use of these findings for clinical practice, including monitoring of craving intensity and individualized selection of treatment with antidipsotropic medications in subjects with alcohol dependence.

BackgroundQuantifying craving longitudinally during the course of withdrawal, early abstinence, and relapse is essential for optimal management of alcohol use disorder (AUD). In an effort to identify biological correlates of craving, we used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H‐MRS) to investigate the correlation between craving and glutamate levels in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC) of patients with AUD.MethodsParticipants underwent 1H‐MRS of the LDLPFC with 2‐dimensional J‐resolved (2DJ) averaged PRESS. MRS data were processed with LCModel and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)‐corrected to generate metabolite concentrations. The Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS) and the 30‐day time line follow‐back (TLFB 30) were used to quantify craving for alcohol and drinking patterns, respectively.ResultsThere was a statistically significant positive correlation between CSF‐corrected glutamate ([Glu]) levels and PACS scores (n = 14; p = 0.005). When PACS scores were dichotomized (< or ≥median = 16), [Glu] levels were significantly higher in the high‐ versus low‐craving group (p = 0.007). In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between CSF‐corrected N‐acetyl aspartic acid ([NAA]) levels and mean number of drinks per drinking day in the past month (n = 13; TLFB 30; p = 0.012). When mean TLFB 30 was dichotomized (< or ≥median = 7.86), [NAA] levels were significantly lower in subjects that consumed more alcoholic beverages. There was no significant correlation between [Glu] and [NAA] levels with other measures of drinking behavior and or depression symptom severity.ConclusionsWhile limited by small sample size, these data suggest that glutamate levels in LDLPFC are associated with alcohol craving intensity in patients with AUD. Further study with larger sample size is needed to replicate this finding and evaluate the merits of glutamate spectroscopy as a biological correlate of alcohol craving intensity and a guide to treatment interventions.

Abstract Background and Aims Depression and anxiety are often comorbid with alcoholism and contribute to craving and relapse. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of life‐time diagnoses of major depressive disorder (MDD), substance‐induced depression (SID), anxiety disorder (AnxD) and substance‐induced anxiety (SIA), the effects of these comorbidities on the propensity to drink in negative emotional states (negative craving), and test whether these effects differ by sex. Design Secondary analyses of baseline data collected in a single‐arm study of pharmacogenetic predictors of acamprosate response. Setting Academic medical center and affiliated community‐based treatment programs in the American upper mid‐west. Participants A total of 287 males and 156 females aged 18–80 years, meeting DSM‐IV criteria for alcohol dependence. Measurements The primary outcome measure was ‘propensity to drink in negative emotional situations’ (determined by the Inventory of Drug Taking Situations) and the key predictors/covariates were sex and psychiatric comorbidities, including MDD, SID, AnxD and SIA (determined by Psychiatric Research Interview of Substance and Mood Disorders). Findings The prevalence of the MDD, SID and AnxD was higher in females compared with males (33.1 versus 18.4%, 44.8 versus 26.4% and 42.2 versus 27.4%, respectively; P < 0.01, each), while SIA was rare (3.3%) and did not differ by sex. Increased propensity to drink in negative emotional situations was associated with comorbid MDD (β = 6.6, P = 0.013) and AnxD (β = 4.8, P = 0.042) as well as a SID × sex interaction effect ( P = 0.003), indicating that the association of SID with propensity to drink in negative emotional situations differs by sex and is stronger in males (β = 7.9, P = 0.009) compared with females (β = −6.6, P = 0.091). Conclusions There appears to be a higher prevalence of comorbid depression and anxiety disorders as well as propensity to drink in negative emotional situations in female compared with male alcoholics. Substance‐induced depression appears to have a sex‐specific effect on the increased risk for drinking in negative emotional situations in males.