Effect of ALDH2 Genetic Polymorphism on the Adaptive Change in Alcohol Metabolism Due to Continuous Moderate Alcohol Consumption in Humans

Few studies have assessed the difference in adaptive changes of alcohol metabolism in the case of chronic alcohol consumption pertaining to the genetic polymorphism of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) in humans. To evaluate the influences of ALDH2 genotypes on changes in alcohol metabolism due to continuous alcohol intake, we conducted an intervention study by setting a continuous drinking period between two abstinence periods. The subjects in this study comprised 20-25-year-old males, including 15 males carrying ALDH2*1/*1 and 16 carrying ALDH2*1/*2 genotypes. Following the abstinence period of 4 weeks, all subjects drank commercially available beer (500 ml) every evening for 6 weeks and subsequently abstained from drinking again for 4 weeks. The physiological subjective responses to alcohol also significantly decreased during DT2 in subjects with ALDH2*1/*2 genotype. Moreover, serum lipids, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and uric acid concentrations also varied between subjects with different ALDH2 genotypes due to continuous drinking. These results suggested that ALDH2 polymorphism modified adaptive changes in alcohol metabolism and physiological responses to continuous moderate alcohol consumption.