Association of a restriction fragment length polymorphism in the alcohol dehydrogenase 2 gene with Japanese alcoholic liver cirrhosis

The association of ADH2 polymorphisms with alcoholic liver cirrhosis has not been clearly demonstrated. Methods: We investigated the association of two alleles in the ADH2 gene marked by restriction fragment length polymorphisms in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. The ADH2 restriction fragment polymorphisms with Mae III were determined using the polymerase chain reaction on lymphocytes from 76 male Japanese alcoholics (non-cirrhotic patients; 34 cases, cirrhotic patients; 42 cases) and 60 healthy male subjects. Results: The frequency of the ADH21/ADH21 genotype was significantly higher in the alcoholics than in the healthy subjects p<0.001). In the alcoholics, the genotype ADH22/ADH22 was significantly more prevalent in the cirrhotic group than in the non-cirrhotic group (p<0.05). Conclusions: These results suggest that the Mae III polymorphisms of the ADH2 gene may be associated not only with susceptibility to alcoholic liver cirrhosis, but also with the development of alcoholism in Japanese patients.