title: Association between aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 polymorphisms and the incidence of diabetic retinopathy among Japanese subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) detoxifies reactive aldehydes in the micro- and macrovasculature. These substrates, including methylglyoxal and 4-hydroxynonenal formed from glucose and lipids, cause protein carbonylation and mitochondrial dysfunction, forming advanced glycation end products (AGEs). The present study aimed to confirm the association between the inactive ALDH2*2 allele and diabetic retinopathy (DR).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective longitudinal analysis was conducted, among 234 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) (156 males and 78 females) who had no DR signs at baseline and were treated for more than half a year. The ALDH2*1/*2 alleles were determined using a real-time TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidential intervals (CIs) for the cumulative incidence of the development of DR were examined using a Cox proportional hazard model, taking drinking habits and the serum γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) level into consideration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of the ALDH2*2 allele was 22.3%. Fifty-two subjects cumulatively developed DR during the follow-up period of 5.5 ± 2.5 years. The ALDH2*2 allele carriers had a significantly higher incidence of DR than the non-carriers (HR: 1.92; P = 0.02). The incidence of DR was significantly higher in the drinkers with the ALDH2*2 allele than in those with the ALDH2*1/*1 genotype (HR: 2.61; P = 0.03), while the incidence of DR in the non-drinkers did not differ significantly between the ALDH2 genotype groups (P > 0.05). The incidence of DR was significantly higher in the ALDH2*2 allele carriers with a high GGT level than in the non-carriers with a high or low GGT level (HR: 2.45; P = 0.03; and HR: 2.63; P = 0.03, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a significant association between the ALDH2*2 allele and the incidence of DR. These findings provide additional evidence that ALDH2 protects both microvasculature and macrovasculature against reactive aldehydes generated under conditions of sustained oxidative stress, although further investigations in larger cohorts are needed to verify the results.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan. kazukon@gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saruwatari
authors.forename: Haruna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyagawa
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchiyashiki
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oniki
authors.forename: Misaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.forename: Ayami
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kajiwara
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jinnouchi
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000208:ethnology; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C096127:ALDH2 protein, human; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase
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