title: Association between personality traits and ALDH2 polymorphism in Japanese male alcoholics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcoholics who have developed alcoholism despite a strong negative risk factor, that is, the inactive form of aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2), are considered advantageous for studying predisposing factors for alcoholism. This study aimed to compare personality profiles and clinical characteristics between alcoholics with active and inactive ALDH2.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 460 male Japanese alcoholics hospitalized in Kurihama Alcoholism Center. All patients underwent Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire and semi-structured interviews 4 to 8 weeks after admission to obtain data on personalities and clinical characteristics. ALDH2 genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Sixty-six patients had the inactive form of ALDH2 (ALDH2*1/2*2) and 394 had the active form (ALDH2*1/2*1).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alcoholics with inactive ALDH2 had significantly higher novelty-seeking (NS) and lower harm-avoidance (HA) scores compared with those with active ALDH2. The inactive ALDH2 group experienced delirium tremens significantly less frequently than the active ALDH2 group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that high NS and low HA scores in alcoholics with inactive ALDH2 are associated with an increased risk for developing alcoholism, despite a low enzymatic ability to eliminate toxic acetaldehyde in these subjects. A study of alcoholics with inactive ALDH2 is useful for detecting environmental or personality factors related to alcoholism.
authors.affiliation: National Hospital Organization, Kurihama Alcoholism Center Yokosuka, 5-3-1 Nobi, Kanagawa, Japan. kimoo@msj.biglobe.ne.jp
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawayama
authors.forename: Sachio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kashima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D040261:Harm Reduction / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C096127:ALDH2 protein, human; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial