Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1999, 187 (4)

Analysis of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 Gene Polymorphism and Ethanol Patch Test as a Screening Method for Alcohol Sensitivity

SHOJI TSUTAYA, MASARU SHOJI,1 YUKA SAITO, HITOMI KITAYA, SHINICHI NAKATA, HIDEETSU TAKAMATSU and MINORU YASUJIMA1

Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hirosaki University Hospital, Hirosaki 036-8562, and 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki 036-8562

  • To assess clinical availability of the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) 2 gene polymorphism to detect alcohol sensitivity among a Japanese population, we determined the ALDH 2 genotypes and also compared to an ethanol patch test in 119 young Japanese. Their alcohol sensitivity was evaluated by a questionnaire on the frequency of alcohol-associated symptoms when they drink. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples and amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR primers were flanking the polymorphic region in exon 12 of the ALDH 2 gene. The distribution of the typical homozygote, the heterozygote and the atypical homozygote was 63.9, 31.9 and 4.2%, respectively. Gene frequencies of the typical and atypical alleles calculated from the genotype frequencies were 0.80 and 0.20. The atypical genotypic homozygotes were positively associated with facial flushing symptom, but not with positive response for ethanol patch test. These results indicate that ALDH 2 genotypes determination is essential to detect alcohol sensitivity whereas the ethanol patch test has some limitations.
    Key words--- aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 gene; genetics; ethanol patch test; alcohol sensitivity
    © 1999 Tohoku University Medical Press

    Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1999, 187, 305-310
    Address for reprints: Minoru Yasujima, M. D., Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Zaifucho 5, Hirosaki 036-8562, Japan.
    e-mail: yasujima@mail.cc.hirosaki-u.ac.jp

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