BIOCHEMICAL AND GENETIC-STUDIES OF CAUCASIAN SUBJECTS WITH ETHANOL-INDUCED FLUSHING REACTION

The prevalence of ethanol-induced flushing was investigated in three d ifferent Caucasian student populations, namely Irish, Belgian and Engl ish. Approximately 45% of all female subjects reported a flushing reac tion, while 33%, 17% and 9%, respectively, of male students reported t his reaction. There was a high familial incidence of pushing in all gr oups, suggesting that a specific gene defect might be involved Our pre vious investigations had inferred normal ALDH, in such affected indivi duals, but low activities of erythrocyte ALDH(1).(1) Since the princip al role of this cytosolic enzyme may be in the metabolism of biogenic amines, serotonin levels in platelet-rich plasma and urinary adrenalin e, noradrenaline and dopamine were assayed in affected individuals aft er an oral ethanol challenge. No consistent pattern was evident for an y of these parameters in any of the subjects at the time intervals inv estigated. Genotyping for ADH(3)(1) and ADH(3)(2) showed a higher freq uency for ADH(3)(1), 58%, than ADH(3)(2), 42%. This is comparable to t he Caucasian controls and to our previously published data.