title: Familial predisposition to alcoholic liver disease:  a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The variable susceptibility to alcoholic liver disease (ALD) may be genetic in origin, but clear candidate genes have not yet emerged. This study aimed to assess familial clustering of ALD using a case-control strategy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited two cohorts of heavy drinkers (>60 U/week for men or >40 U/week for women): 291 individuals with decompensated ALD (Child's grade B or C) and 208 controls with similar alcohol consumption but no evidence of liver disease. Data were collected, through a questionnaire and a follow-up telephone call, on drinking behaviour and the presence of liver disease in parents and siblings of cases and controls. The results in the relatives of cases were compared with those in the relatives of the controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The odds ratio (OR) of heavy drinking in the relatives of the cases compared with the controls was 0.91 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.73-1.1]. OR in the relatives of the cases versus the controls was 1.27 for definite ALD (95% CI, 0.63-2.6), 1.09 for all ALD (95% CI, 0.58-2.0) and 1.0 for all liver diseases (95% CI, 0.60-1.7). Multiple subgroup analyses yielded similar OR values, not exceeding 1.5.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data do not suggest a strong familial predisposition to the development of ALD and rather suggest that the main cofactors are environmental.
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Ala K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Jayne S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Martin P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Neeraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bhala
authors.forename: Arifur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Peck
authors.forename: Dawn M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Teare
authors.forename: Dermot
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gleeson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence