In conclusion, we have identified genome-wide significant association with two SNPs located in a chromosomal region for which linkage and animal studies provide compelling evidence for the presence of susceptibility variants predisposing to alcohol addiction. Further independent studies are required to confirm these findings. The gene, which is located close to these SNPs - PECR- is a plausible candidate and merits further investigation. We have shown that the GWA approach is a powerful tool for producing valuable findings in even a moderately-sized sample, when it has been carefully selected for genetically homogeneous cases. In addition, our study underlines the value of a convergent approach between animal studies and systematic genetic screens in humans in order to deal with the multiple testing problem in GWAS.
