ALCOHOLISM AND INHERITANCE - A CRITICAL U PDATE

The etiology of alcoholism is under constant revision This work critic ally examines the accumulated evidence on the degree of genetic determ ination of alcoholism, aiming to provide an updated view of the proble m The methodological aspects of studies performed in families, twins a nd adopted siblings are analyzed The associations of alcoholism with g enetic markers and diseases are reviewed, including the negative corre lation between alcoholism and an aldehyde dehydrogenase variant in Jap anese subjects. The association between marker genes, specially the HL A system, with organic damage and the future projection of these studi es are mentioned.