ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION BY ORIENTALS IN NORTH-AMERICA IS PREDICTED LARGELY BY A SINGLE-GENE

Orientals consume significantly less alcohol, and show a lower prevale nce of alcohol abuse and dependence, than Caucasians. Sociological the ories propose that this difference is due mainly to cultural factors. Physiological theories have suggested that the flushing reaction exper ienced by some Orientals serves as a deterrent to ethanol consumption. The flushing reaction is observed mainly in individuals who possess a mutation in the high-affinity aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH(2)) which renders the enzyme inactive. However, the tendency to flush correlates poorly with alcohol consumption, thus casting doubt on the physiologi cal interpretations. The present study investigates the influence of t he ALDH(2) allele and of acculturation in North America on alcohol con sumption by Orientals born in Canada or the United States. Oriental ma les carrying the inactive ALDH(2)(-) allele drink two-thirds less alco hol (6.1 +/- 1.5 vs. 18.2 +/- 2.8 drinks/4 weeks; p < 0.001), show one -third the prevalence of binge drinking(15.2 vs. 42.2%; p < 0.01), and are three times more likely to be abstainers (39.4 vs. 13.3%; p < 0.0 1) than Oriental ALDH(2)(+) males carrying the gene for the active enz yme. There were no significant differences in binge drinking or abstin ence rates between ALDH(2)(+) Orientals and Caucasian males. Accultura tion in North American society accounted for only 7-11% of the varianc e in overall consumption (p < 0.02). It is concluded that a single mut ation in the high-affinity aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH(2)) gene predi cts two-thirds of the alcohol consumption and excessive alcohol use by Oriental males born in North America.