ACETALDEHYDE-PROTEIN INTERACTIONS - ARE THEY INVOLVED IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF ALCOHOLIC LIVER-DISEASE

Alcohol abuse is a major cause of liver disease. While ethanol itself has been shown to be hepatotoxic, its primary metabolite acetaldehyde has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver diseas e. The majority of ethanol metabolism occurs in the liver and high con centrations of acetaldehyde accumulate during chronic ethanol abuse. A cetaldehyde has been shown to react with many proteins in vitro, formi ng stable covalent adducts. These modifications can act as neoantigens and may also alter biological function. Acetaldehyde-modified protein s have been detected in the livers of ethanol-fed rats and human alcoh olics. Circulating antibodies reactive with modified proteins have als o been detected. A direct linkage between acetaldehyde-modified protei ns, antibodies and liver damage has yet to be established, but current research should clarify the picture in the next few years.