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Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access published online on June 20, 2005
Alcohol and Alcoholism, doi:10.1093/alcalc/agh168
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Medical Council on Alcohol. All rights reserved
Received March 10, 2004
Accepted May 10, 2004

Article

ERYTHROCYTE ALDEHYDE DEHYDROGENASE ACTIVITY: LACK OF ASSOCIATION WITH ALCOHOL USE AND DEPENDENCE OR ALCOHOL REACTIONS IN AUSTRALIAN TWINS

NARELLE K. HANSELL 1, DONA PANG 2, ANDREW C. HEATH 3, NICHOLAS G. MARTIN 1, and JOHN B. WHITFIELD 4*

1 The Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia
2 Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown NSW 2050, Sydney, Australia
3 Midwest Alcoholism Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
4 The Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia; Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown NSW 2050, Sydney, Australia

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
JOHN B. WHITFIELD, E-mail: John.Whitfield{at}email.cs.nsw.gov.au


  Abstract

Aim: Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) has been advocated as a marker of alcohol intake. The absence or low levels of ALDH1 may be associated with alcohol-induced flushing or other reactions to alcohol in Europeans and therefore, with reduced alcohol use. This study tested whether variation in erythrocyte ALDH1 activity was associated with alcohol use, alcohol dependence or reactions to alcohol in unselected subjects of European descent, and whether variation in ALDH1 activity was subject to genetic influences. Methods: ALDH activity was measured in erythrocytes from 677 men and women who had participated in a twin study of alcohol use and dependence. Results: There were no significant effects of sex, alcohol consumption or alcohol dependence on ALDH activity. Subjects who reported reactions to alcohol did not have low activity. Women aged below 45 years had lower ALDH activity than men or older women. The heritability of ALDH activity was 56% (95% confidence interval = 42-67%). Conclusions: Previous reports that erythrocyte ALDH activity is low in alcoholics were not substantiated in this community-based sample. Associations with alcohol reactions were not found. ALDH activity varies widely between subjects, largely because of genetic factors.


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