Genetic polymorphisms of ADH1B, ADH1C and ALDH2 in Turkish alcoholics: lack of association with alcoholism and alcoholic cirrhosis

No data exists regarding the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) gene polymorphisms in Turkish alcoholic cirrhotics. We studied the polymorphisms of ADH1B, ADHiC andALDH2 genes in alcoholic cirrhotics and compared the results with non-cirrhotic alcoholics and healthy volunteers. Overall, 237 subjects were included for the study: i6 alcoholic patients (78 cirrhotics, 78 non-cirrhotic alcoholics) and 8i healthy volunteers. Three different single-nucleotide-polymorphism genotyping methods were used. ADHiC genotyping was performed using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The identified ADHiC genotypes were named according to the presence or absence of the enzyme restriction sites. ADHLB (Arg47Hys) genotyping"was performed using the allele specific primer extension method, and ALDH2 (G1u487Lys) genotyping was performed by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction using two allele-specific primer pairs. For ADHIB, the frequency of allele 'a in the cirrhotics, non-cirrhotic alcoholics and healthy volunteers was 97.4%, 94.9% and 99.4%, respectively. For ADH/C, the frequency of allele *1 in the cirrhotics, non-cirrhotic alcoholics and healthy volunteers was 47%, 36.3% and 45%, respectively. There was no statistical difference between the groups for ADH113 and ADH/C (p>o.o5). All alcoholic and non-alcoholic subjects (so 0%) had the allele *1 for ALDH2. The obtained results for ADHLB, ADH.tC, and ALDH gene polymorphisms in the present study are similar to the results of Caucasian studies. ADH.1.13 and ADHIC genetic variations are not related to the development of alcoholism or susceptibility to alcoholic cirrhosis. ALDH2 gene has no genetic variation in the Turkish population.