title: Comparative study of erythrocyte aldehyde dehydrogenase in alcoholics and control subjects.
abstract: Human erythrocyte aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH, EC 1.2.1.3) shows a single activity band on starch gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel (pI = 5.0-5.3). The erythrocyte enzyme is identical with the slower migrating, disulfiram-sensitive human liver ALDH isozyme II. Significantly decreased activity of erythrocyte ALDH was observed in chronic alcoholics when compared with healthy controls and non-alcoholic psychiatric and gastrointestinal patients. The measurement of ALDH in erythrocyte lysates may offer yet another sensitive and specific biochemical marker of alcoholism.
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases / Q000097:blood*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase