Alcohol metabolism in Asian-American men with genetic polymorphisms of aldehyde dehydrogenase.
BACKGROUND
About half of certain Asians have a deficiency of the low-Km aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) isoenzyme. This deficiency results from inheritance of a mutant ALDH2*2 allele.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether Asian Americans with ALDH2*2 alleles differ from Asian Americans without this mutation in terms of blood levels of alcohol and acetaldehyde after ingestion of a moderate amount of alcohol.


METHODS
Double-blind, crossover study.


METHODS
Private research institute.


METHODS
35 healthy Asian-American men. Three men who became ill after alcohol ingestion and one who had outlying data were excluded.


METHODS
Alcoholic beverage, containing 0.56 g of alcohol per kg of body weight, or placebo beverage, containing 3 mL of alcohol, given orally on separate occasions.


METHODS
Blood levels of alcohol and acetaldehyde measured before and several times after ingestion of the alcoholic or placebo beverage.


RESULTS
Participants with ALDH2*2 alleles had significantly higher blood acetaldehyde levels after ingesting alcoholic and placebo beverages than did participants with ALDH2*1 alleles, despite similar blood alcohol concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
Blood acetaldehyde levels rather than blood alcohol concentration may mediate enhanced alcohol sensitivity among Asians with ALDH2*2 alleles.
Wall
T L
TL
University of California, Department of Psychiatry, San Diego, USA.
Peterson
C M
CM
Peterson
K P
KP
Johnson
M L
ML
Thomasson
H R
HR
Cole
M
M
Ehlers
C L
CL
D000079:Acetaldehyde / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D000483:Alleles; D001213:Asian / Q000235:genetics*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D000431:Ethanol; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000079:Acetaldehyde