Elevated Oxytocin Receptor Blood Concentrations Predict Higher Risk for, More, and Earlier 24-Month Hospital Readmissions after In-Patient Detoxification in Males with Alcohol Use Disorder

Abstract

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a major global mental health challenge. Knowledge concerning mechanisms underlying AUD and predictive biomarkers of AUD progression and relapse are insufficient. Recently, addiction research is focusing attention on the oxytocin system. However, to our knowledge, blood concentrations of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) have not yet been studied in AUD. Here, in sex-separated analyses, OXTR serum concentrations were compared between early-abstinent in-patients with AUD (113 men, 87 women) and age-matched healthy controls (133 men, 107 women). The OXTR concentrations were correlated with sex hormone and oxytocin concentrations and alcohol-related hospital readmissions during a 24-month follow-up. In male patients with AUD, higher OXTR concentrations were found in those with an alcohol-related readmission than in those without (143%; p = 0.004), and they correlated with more prospective readmissions (ρ = 0.249; p = 0.008) and fewer days to the first readmission (ρ = -0.268; p = 0.004). In men and women, OXTR concentrations did not significantly differ between patients with AUD and controls. We found lower OXTR concentrations in smokers versus non-smokers in female patients (61%; p = 0.001) and controls (51%; p = 0.003). In controls, OXTR concentrations correlated with dihydrotestosterone (men, ρ = 0.189; p = 0.030) and testosterone concentrations (women, ρ = 0.281; p = 0.003). This clinical study provides novel insight into the role of serum OXTR levels in AUD. Future studies are encouraged to add to the available knowledge and investigate clinical implications of OXTR blood concentrations.

Keywords: alcohol dependence; alcohol relapse; alcohol use disorder; oxytocin receptor.

Figure 1

Oxytocin receptor (OXTR) blood concentrations predict 24-month alcohol-related hospital readmissions in male in-patients with alcohol use disorder. We found higher baseline OXTR concentrations in in-patients with a prospective alcohol-related hospital readmission than in those without readmission (A). Higher baseline OXTR concentrations predicted more alcohol-related readmissions during the 24-month period (B) and fewer days to first alcohol-related readmission (C). The graphs present medians with interquartile range and p value from a Mann–Whitney U test (A) and ρ and p values from Spearman correlations and best-fit lines from regression analysis with 95% confidence intervals (B,C).