Genome-wide association for smoking cessation success: participants in a trial with adjunctive denicotinized cigarettes

Abstract

The ability to quit smoking successfully displays substantial heritability in classical and molecular genetic studies. Twin studies suggest that some of the genetics for the ability to quit overlap with genetic components of nicotine dependence, but many do not. Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have demonstrated haplotypes that distinguish successful quitters from individuals who were not able to quit smoking in: i) clinical trials that employed nicotine replacement; ii) clinical trials that employed bupropion; and iii) community quitter samples. We now report novel GWA results from participants in a clinical trial that document the efficacy of adjunctive use of denicotinized cigarettes. These results buttress data from our prior GWA studies of smoking cessation. They suggest that ability to change smoking behavior using denicotinized cigarettes shares substantial underlying genetics with the ability to change this behavior in community settings or in response to treatments with nicotine replacement or bupropion.