title: The heredity of human alcohol abuse: myths and facts.
abstract: Myths and facts concerning the heredity of human alcohol abuse are discussed in this article. Familial aggregation, adoption studies, twin concordances, marker gene associations and, finally, recent biochemical and genetic evidence are examined critically. It is concluded that with the exception of a possible protective action of the ALDH2 gene in Japanese there is a lack of clear cut evidence with respect to the direct participation of genetic factors in human alcoholism.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Celular y Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rothhammer
mesh_terms: D000300:Adoption; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014427:Twins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase