Alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenase genotypes in Korsakoff syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies have suggested a genetic predisposition to the development of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS), a neuropsychiatric syndrome commonly associated with alcoholism; however, little is known about this genetic risk factor.


METHODS
To test the hypothesis that altered alcohol or aldehyde regulation is related to the development of WKS, the genetic polymorphisms of aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) and alcohol dehydrogenase-2 (ADH2) were examined in 47 alcoholic subjects with WKS and compared with those of 342 alcoholic subjects without any WKS symptoms and 175 nonalcoholic controls.


RESULTS
Although the frequencies of the ALDH2 genotypes and alleles did not differ significantly between alcoholic subjects with WKS and alcoholics without WKS, the ADH2*1/2*1 genotype and ADH2*1 allele were significantly increased in WKS.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that the ADH2*1/2*1 genotype is a risk factor for the development of WKS in alcoholic patients.
Matsushita
S
S
Department of Psychiatry, National Institute on Alcoholism, Kurihama National Hospital, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan. shiguchi@wa2.so-net.ne.jp
Kato
M
M
Muramatsu
T
T
Higuchi
S
S
D000368:Aged; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial; D000483:Alleles; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D020915:Korsakoff Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; C096127:ALDH2 protein, human; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial