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Alcohol-Metabolising Genes and Alcoholism Among Taiwanese Han Men: Independent Effect of ADH2, ADH3 and ALDH2

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Wei J. Chen
Affiliation:
Institute of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei
E. W. Loh
Affiliation:
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei
Yun-Pung P. Hsu
Affiliation:
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei
Chiao-Chicy Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Adult Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei
Jeng-Ming Yu
Affiliation:
Department of Adult Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei
Andrew T. A. Cheng*
Affiliation:
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei
*
Professor Andrew T. A. Cheng, Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan. Fax: 886-2-785-3569

Abstract

Background

Previous population association studies have indicated that certain alleles of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) may reduce the risk of alcoholism in Asian populations. The association of ALDH2 and ADH2 with the development of alcoholism was found to be independent of each other and has been replicated in different Asian populations, while the effect of ADH3 is less studied.

Method

We genotyped the alcohol metabolism genes among Han men with alcohol dependence (n=46) and their ethnically matched normal controls (n=63) in Taiwan. Multiple logistic regression was then applied to assess the contribution of ADH3 to alcoholism by controlling the effect of ALDH2 and ADH2.

Results

The results of multivariate analyses demonstrated that the odds ratios for an increment of one allele of ADH2∗1, ADH3∗2 and ALDH2∗1 in the development of alcoholism were 4.18, 3.82, and 6.89, respectively.

Conclusions

These findings clearly indicate that all three alcohol-metabolising genes contribute to susceptibility to alcoholism.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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