Ethnicity, alcohol drinking and changes in transaminase activity among heavy drinkers.
BACKGROUND
Liver cirrhosis mortality differs by ethnicity in the United States. Some studies suggest alcohol sensitivity may contribute to this finding. This analysis evaluated if alcohol-associated changes in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) differed by ethnicity among heavy drinkers.


METHODS
Subjects included 1691 subjects from Project MATCH, a multicenter alcohol use disorders treatment trial. Changes in AST and ALT over 15 months were modeled as functions of ethnicity, age, gender, time, study site and alcohol use. The main focus was on ethnic differences in changes in transaminase activity occurring with changes in alcohol use.


RESULTS
At all levels of alcohol consumption AST was lower in non-Hispanic whites relative to African Americans and Mexican Americans. Changes in AST associated with changes in alcohol use did not vary by ethnicity. ALT significantly differed only between Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites. Similar to AST, alcohol-associated ALT change did not differ by ethnicity.


CONCLUSIONS
Among individuals with alcohol use disorders participating in a treatment trial, the effect of alcohol drinking on transaminase activity did not vary by ethnicity. However, in the general population, alcohol may still interact with other factors in mediating ethnic differences in cirrhosis mortality.
Stewart
Scott H
SH
Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. stewarsh@musc.edu
Connors
Gerard J
GJ
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People
D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase