title: Ethnic differences in level of response to alcohol between Chinese Americans and Korean Americans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Koreans have higher rates of alcohol-use disorders and family history of alcoholism, compared with Chinese. These differences likely reflect both environmental and genetic influences. One genetically influenced characteristic that may contribute to these ethnic differences is level of response to alcohol. Variant alleles of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH1B) genes are prevalent in individuals of Asian heritage and have been associated with an increased level of response to alcohol and a decreased risk for alcohol dependence. Additionally, a low level of response to alcohol is more common in individuals with a first-degree family history of alcoholism and is predictive of increased risk for this disorder. It also is possible that sociocultural factors have an impact on an individual's response to alcohol. The current study examined self-report level of response to alcohol, ALDH2 and ADH1B, country of origin, and family history of alcoholism in 154 Chinese- and 181 Korean-American college students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were evaluated via in-person interviews and genotyped at the ALDH2 and ADH1B loci.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ethnicity was significantly related to level of response to alcohol, with Koreans having a lower self-reported level of response than Chinese. This relationship remained significant after considering the effects of gender, height, weight, quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption (over the previous 90 days), ALDH2 genotype, ADH1B genotype, country of origin, and first-degree family history of alcohol dependence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that a low level of response to alcohol may contribute to the increased risk for alcohol abuse and dependence found in Koreans, relative to Chinese. More research is needed to determine additional factors that may be contributing to the low alcohol response and high rates of alcoholism in Koreans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole C E
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Duranceaux
authors.forename: Marc A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Schuckit
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Luczak
authors.forename: Mimy Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.forename: Lucinda G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.forename: Tamara L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Wall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial; D000483:Alleles; D001213:Asian / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012650:Self Disclosure
chemical_list: C489332:ADH1B protein, human; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; C096127:ALDH2 protein, human; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial