title: Alcohol metabolism in Asian-American men with genetic polymorphisms of aldehyde dehydrogenase.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Department of Psychiatry, San Diego, USA.
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Thomasson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ehlers
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000079:Acetaldehyde