The interplay between alcohol consumption, oral hygiene, ALDH2 and ADH1B in the risk of head and neck cancer.
Alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for head and neck cancer (HNC). The major carcinogen from alcohol is acetaldehyde, which may be produced by humans or by oral microorganisms through the metabolism of ethanol. To account for the different sources of acetaldehyde production, the current study examined the interplay between alcohol consumption, oral hygiene (as a proxy measure for the growth of oral microorganisms), and alcohol-metabolizing genes (ADH1B and ALDH2) in the risk of HNC. We found that both the fast (*2/*2) and the slow (*1/*1+ *1/*2) ADH1B genotypes increased the risk of HNC due to alcohol consumption, and this association differed according to the slow/non-functional ALDH2 genotypes (*1/*2+ *2/*2) or poor oral hygiene. In persons with the fast ADH1B genotype, the HNC risk associated with alcohol drinking was increased for those with the slow/non-functional ALDH2 genotypes. For those with the slow ADH1B genotypes, oral hygiene appeared to play an important role; the highest magnitude of an increased HNC risk in alcohol drinkers occurred among those with the worst oral hygiene. This is the first study to show that the association between alcohol drinking and HNC risk may be modified by the interplay between genetic polymorphisms of ADH1B and ALDH2 and oral hygiene. Although it is important to promote abstinence from or reduction of alcohol drinking to decrease the occurrence of HNC, improving oral hygiene practices may provide additional benefit.
Department of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Sen-Tien
ST
Tsai
Tung-Yiu
TY
Wong
Chun-Yen
CY
Ou
Sheen-Yie
SY
Fang
Ken-Chung
KC
Chen
Jenn-Ren
JR
Hsiao
Cheng-Chih
CC
Huang
Wei-Ting
WT
Lee
Hung-I
HI
Lo
Jehn-Shyun
JS
Huang
Jiunn-Liang
JL
Wu
Chia-Jui
CJ
Yen
Wei-Ting
WT
Hsueh
Yuan-Hua
YH
Wu
Ming-Wei
MW
Yang
Forn-Chia
FC
Lin
Jang-Yang
JY
Chang
Kwang-Yu
KY
Chang
Shang-Yin
SY
Wu
Hsiao-Chen
HC
Liao
Chen-Lin
CL
Lin
Yi-Hui
YH
Wang
Ya-Ling
YL
Weng
Han-Chien
HC
Yang
Jeffrey S
JS
Chang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult
C489332:ADH1B protein, human; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; C096127:ALDH2 protein, human; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial
ADH1B; ALDH2; case-control; ethanol metabolism; head and neck cancer; oral hygiene