ALCOHOL METABOLISM IN ASIAN-AMERICAN MEN WITH GENETIC POLYMORPHISMS OF ALDEHYDE DEHYDROGENASE

Background: About half of certain Asians have a deficiency of the low- K-m aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) isoenzyme. This deficiency results from inheritance of a mutant ALDH22 allele. Objective: To determine w hether Asian Americans with ALDH22 alleles differ from Asian American s without this mutation in terms of blood levels of alcohol and acetal dehyde after ingestion of a moderate amount of alcohol. Design: Double -blind, crossover study. Setting: Private research institute. Particip ants: 35 healthy Asian-American men. Three men who became ill after al cohol ingestion and one who had outlying data were excluded. Intervent ion: Alcoholic beverage, containing 0.56 g of alcohol per kg of body w eight, or placebo beverage, containing 3 mL of alcohol, given orally o n separate occasions. Measurements: Blood levels of alcohol and acetal dehyde measured before and several times after ingestion of the alcoho lic or placebo beverage. Results: Participants with ALDH22 alleles ha d significantly higher blood acetaldehyde levels after ingesting alcoh olic and placebo beverages than did participants with ALDH21 alleles, despite similar blood alcohol concentrations. Conclusions: Blood acet aldehyde levels rather than blood alcohol concentration may mediate en hanced alcohol sensitivity among Asians with ALDH22 alleles.