Alcohol dehydrogenase 2 genotype and allelic variants are not associated with the risk for essential tremor.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the possible association between alcohol dehydrogenase 1B, beta-polypeptide (ADH2) genotype and allelic variants and the risk for developing essential tremor (ET).


METHODS
Leukocytary DNA from 204 ET patients and 200 healthy controls was studied for the genotype ADH2 and the occurrence of ADH2 allelic variants using allele-specific polymerase chain reaction amplification and MslI-restriction fragment length polymorphism's analyses.


RESULTS
The frequencies of the ADH2*1/ADH2*2 genotype and of the allelic variant ADH2*2 did not differ significantly in ET patients when compared with those of the controls. The mean age at onset of ET did not differ significantly between patients with genotypes ADH2*1/ADH2*2 and ADH2*1/ADH2*1. The frequencies of the genotype ADH2*1/ADH2*2 and of the allelic variant ADH2*2 in patients with voice, tongue, and chin tremors did not differ from those of the controls, whereas patients with voice tremor showed lower frequencies of mutated genotypes and ADH2*2 alleles. The frequencies of ADH2 genotypes and ADH2 alleles did not differ significantly between patients who did not drink ethanol and those who reported improvement, no improvement, or unknown response of tremor to ethanol.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that ADH2 genotype and allelic variants are not associated with the risk for ET in white Spanish people.
Martínez
Carmen
C
Department of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain.
García-Martín
Elena
E
Alonso-Navarro
Hortensia
H
Benito-León
Julián
J
Puertas
Inmaculada
I
Rubio
Lluisa
L
López-Alburquerque
Tomás
T
Agúndez
José Augusto G
JA
Jiménez-Jiménez
Félix Javier
FJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D020329:Essential Tremor / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012306:Risk
C489332:ADH1B protein, human; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase