title: Genetic polymorphism of CYP2E1 and digestive tract alcohol damage among Polish individuals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Genetic polymorphism of enzymes involved in alcohol metabolism plays a relevant role in etiopathogenesis of alcohol disease. The aim of the present study was to find in the Polish population the CYP2E1 genotypes that are likely to be responsible for higher susceptibility to alcohol disease of the liver and chronic alcohol pancreatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The CYP2E1 genotype and c1 and c2 alleles frequency were examined in 198 patients. Genotyping of the CYP2E1 was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism methods on white cell DNA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the examined population encompassing 198 subjects, the c2 allele was present only in 1.5% of patients. It was found only in patients abusing alcohol. In the group of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, it was present in 3.5% of cases, whereas in patients with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis, in 2.3%. The genotype c1/c2 was present in 3% of subjects. The genotype c2/c2 was not found in any patient. Heterozygotes c1/c2 were present only in patients consuming excessive amounts of ethanol; in 7% of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and in 4.5% of those with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis. The c2 allele occurred only in men. None of the examined women had the genotype c1/c2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our studies suggest that the frequency of the c2 alleles in Polish population is low. Because of their rare frequency, it is difficult to conclude explicitly that the presence of the c2 allele promotes alcoholic damage to alimentary organs among Poles. It seems, however, that they pose the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis; their role in chronic alcoholic pancreatitis is difficult to assess.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland. Lach.halina@wp.pl
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cichoz-Lach
authors.forename: Jadwiga
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Partycka
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nesina
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wojcierowski
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Słomka
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Celiński
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D000483:Alleles; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000235:genetics; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019512:Pancreatitis, Alcoholic / Q000235:genetics*; D011044:Poland; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
chemical_list: D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1