Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access originally published online on December 19, 2006
Alcohol and Alcoholism 2007 42(2):64-69; doi:10.1093/alcalc/agl116
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IS THERE A SIMILARITY BETWEEN DNA DAMAGE IN ADULTS WITH CHRONIC ALCOHOLISM AND COMMUNITY-DWELLING HEALTHY OLDER ADULTS?
1 Unidad de Investigación en Gerontología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
2 Unidad de Investigación en Citogenética y Mutagénesis, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, UNAM Mexico City, Mexico
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed at: Batalla 5 de mayo s/n, Esq. Fuerte de Loreto, Col. Ejército de Oriente, 09230 México, DF., México. Tel: +52 55 5623 0721; Fax: +52 55 5773 6330; E-mail: mendovic{at}servidor.unam.mx
Received 3 April 2006; first review notified 10 July 2006; in revised form 23 November 2006; accepted 23 November 2006
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Abstract |
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Aims: Daily alcohol consumption and ageing have been linked with DNA damage, leading to the hypothesis that chronic alcoholism causes DNA damage similar to that which occurs with ageing. Likewise, it has been suggested that chronic alcoholism is the cause of accelerated or premature ageing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency and magnitude of DNA damage among adults with chronic alcoholism and healthy older adults residing in Mexico City. Methods: A cross-sectional and comparative study was carried out in a sample of 53 chronic alcoholics of 25–44 years of age (without alcohol ingestion in the past 30 days) without additional diseases, 26 healthy subjects 
60 years of age, and 25 healthy adults of 25–44 years of age without alcohol addiction, all residents of Mexico City during the past 10 years. DNA damage was evaluated by single-cell gel electrophoresis technique (Comet assay). Results: Our results showed a similar percentage of DNA damage between healthy elderly subjects and chronic alcoholics (62 vs 55%, P >0.05), although average DNA migration was greater in alcoholics than in the elderly (78.1 ± 33.2 vs 58.6 ± 26.2, P = 0.09). However, the percentage of subjects with more than six damaged cells was higher in the older adults subjects group than in the group chronic alcoholics (19 vs 35%, P = 0.16). Conclusions: Data suggest that DNA damage is not similar in young subjects with chronic alcoholism that which occurs with ageing.