Gender Differences in Alcohol Metabolizing Hepatic Enzyme
Genotypes in Korean Patients with Alcohol Dependence

• Authors: Jin-Seong Lee , Sung-Gon Kim , Sae-Heon Jang , Won-Tan Byun , In-Bok Hwang , Chang-Soo Kim , Seong-Yeon Kim , Hyun-Sook Lee , Young-Hui Yang , David W. Oslin
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

There are a number of epidemiological studies concerning the gender
differences in the genetic etiology of alcohol dependence (AD), with
ADH2 and ALDH2 being strong candidates. The purpose of this study
was to investigate gender differences in frequencies of ADH2 and ALDH2
genotypes in AD patients and in a normal control (NC) group of Koreans.
Study subjects consisted of 228 AD patients (180 males, 48 females) and
138 NC (79 males, 59 females). For both male and female subjects, the
frequency of the ADH2*1/1 genotype was significantly higher in AD patients
compared to the NC group. However, the effect size of the ADH2*1/1
genotype on AD was much larger in females than in males. Furthermore,
the ALDH2*1/1 genotype was positively associated with AD in male
subjects but negatively associated with AD in female patients. Interestingly,
AD in males was primarily determined by ALDH2 enzyme activity (92%),
whereas female AD was primarily determined by ADH2 enzyme activity
(60.4%). These results suggest that risk for the development of AD in
males is mainly associated with the ALDH2*1/1 genotype, while in female
patients, the ADH2*1/1 genotype was more highly associated with risk of
AD. Overall, it is evident that gender differences associated with genetic
risks for AD are present.

Keywords

EN

Alcohol dependence; ADH2; ALDH2; Gender differences; Genetic risk

• Publisher: De Gruyter Open
• Journal: Addiction Genetics
• Year: 2012
• Volume: 1
• Pages: 12-18

Dates

online

10 - 05 - 2013

accepted

18 - 03 - 2013

received

25 - 12 - 2012

Contributors

author

Jin-Seong Lee

• Department of Psychiatry, Pusan National
  University Yangsan Hospital,
  Yangsan, Korea

author

Sung-Gon Kim

• Department of Psychiatry, Pusan National
  University Yangsan Hospital,
  Yangsan, Korea
• Department of Psychiatry,
  School of Medicine, Pusan National University,
  Yangsan, Korea

author

Sae-Heon Jang

• Department of Psychiatry,
  Bong Seng Memorial Hospital,
  Busan, Korea

author

Won-Tan Byun

• Department of Psychiatry,
  Yangsan Hospital, Yang San, Korea

author

In-Bok Hwang

• Department of Psychiatry,
  Dasarang Hospital, Kwangju, Korea

author

Chang-Soo Kim

• Maya Mental Hospital,
  Yeongcheon, Korea

author

Seong-Yeon Kim

• Division of Management Information
  Science, Dong-A University,
  Busan, Korea

author

Hyun-Sook Lee

• Lee’s Psychiatric Clinic,
  Busan, Korea

author

Young-Hui Yang

• Department of Psychiatry, Pusan National
  University Yangsan Hospital,
  Yangsan, Korea

author

David W. Oslin

• Department of Psychiatry,
  University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,
  PA and the Philadelphia VA Medical
  Center and VISN 4 MIRECC, USA

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Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/addge-2013-0001