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Among men who experienced maltreatment in childhood, a low-activity polymorphism of an X-linked gene, monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), has been found to predict aggressive disorders, but the effect of the allele in women remains unknown. Now, researchers have examined the interaction of the MAOA allele and related haplotypes with histories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and alcoholism among 291 Native American women: 168 with alcohol dependence (39 of whom also had antisocial personality disorder [ASPD]) and 123 matched controls. Alcoholism and ASPD occurred in 50% and 13% of this cohort, rates that are about six times greater than in the general population. Fifty percent of participants had experienced CSA, as assessed with a comprehensive and…