Given the logistic and ethical constraints that would be associated with a trial of alcohol use to prevent depression, we aimed to complete a Mendelian randomization study to determine if a genetic polymorphism associated with alcohol abuse and dependence (ADH1Brs1229984 G-->A) contributed to modulate the risk of depression in a community-derived cohort of older men.
We genotyped the rs1229984 G→A variant of the alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) gene, which is associated with lower prevalence of alcohol abuse and dependence.
The high prevalence of the ALDH2*2 and ADH1B*2 alleles in a large percentage of Asian subgroups has been studied as a potential protective factors against alcohol abuse, yet some individuals who possess these genes still engage in problematic alcohol use (Wall et al.2001).
Although the ALDH2*2 allele had a significant inhibitory effect on alcohol consumption, hence on drinking problems, the apparent association was not confirmed between ADH2 genotype and overall drinking patterns for either males or females.
Among the Atayal, the group with alcohol use disorders (alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse) had a significantly lower frequency of the ADH2*2 allele (0.82) than those without alcohol use disorders (0.91).
The ALDH2 genotypes consistently and strongly affected the alcohol sensitivity, drinking behavior and problem drinking in both the younger and older group.
The ADH1B genotype was associated with the frequency and volume of drinking but its associations with binge drinking and problem drinking were less consistent.
The high prevalence of the ALDH2*2 and ADH1B*2 alleles in a large percentage of Asian subgroups has been studied as a potential protective factors against alcohol abuse, yet some individuals who possess these genes still engage in problematic alcohol use (Wall et al.2001).
On the other hand, persons with the heterozygous ALDH2*2 genotype (ALDH2*1/2*2) are at higher risk for developing alcohol abuse-related end-organ damage than those with a homozygous ALDH2*1/2*1 genotype.
The primary outcomes were daily alcohol consumption, binge drinking, problem drinking (CAGE score 2+) and smoking status in relation to tagging variants within the FTO and ADH1B genes.
Certain ADH1B alleles have large effects on alcohol metabolism, and this relationship particularly encourages further investigations in relation to alcoholism and alcohol-associated cancer to understand better the mechanisms by which alcohol metabolism contributes to alcohol abuse and carcinogenesis.
The ALDH2*2 allele, detected in nearly half of the subjects, showed an overwhelming protective effect against a high level of alcohol consumption and problem drinking behavior, as determined by the Kurihama Alcoholism Screening Test (KAST).
To study the impact of genetic factors that play an important role in an individual's vulnerability to alcohol abuse and dependence, we examined the genetic variations of the major neurotransmitter genes, including the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) TaqI A, B, and -141C insertion/deletion (Ins/Del) polymorphisms, the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR), and the gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABA(A)) receptor beta(3) subunit gene (GABRbeta3), for 130 Mexican-American alcoholic men and 251 nonalcoholic control subjects (105 men and 146 women).
There were no significant differences between controls and the alcoholics, but a tendency of increased DRD2 TaqI A1 or B1 allele frequencies in alcoholic groups selected for severity (i.e. severity according to DSM-III-R criteria, early onset or severe medical complications due to alcohol abuse) and decreased frequencies in the corresponding less severe alcoholic group.
We assessed the association between the TaqI A DRD2 gene polymorphism with Cloninger's typology and family history of alcohol abuse, which is thought to be more frequent in type II alcoholics.
This study supports other family-based association tests that have reported no association between the DRD2 TaqIA polymorphism and alcohol abuse and dependence.
Our findings support that ADH1C Ile may lower the risk of AD and alcohol abuse as well as alcohol-related cirrhosis in pooled populations, with the strongest and most consistent effects in Asians.
Among conventional markers of alcohol abuse, the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of erythrocytes is prognostic of alcohol-related cancer and its predictivity increases when combined with functional polymorphisms of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH1B [rs1229984] and ADH1C [rs698]) and the mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2 [rs671]).