Conclusion
The results of our study suggest a possible association between the ADH1B and ALDH2 polymorphism and the genotoxic effects of alcohol drinking on hematopoietic stem cells.
Methods
We investigated 156 healthy Japanese males in a cross-sectional study. Lifestyles, including alcohol drinking behavior and cigarette smoking status, were investigated by means of a self-completed questionnaire. Polymorphisms of ADH1B and ALDH2 were identified by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. The presence of micronuclei in transferrin-positive reticulocytes (MN-RET) was detected with a single-laser flow cytometer. Associations between the genetic polymorphisms, lifestyle factors, and MN-RET frequency were statistically analyzed.
Results
We found a significant difference in the mean frequencies of MN-RET between habitual drinkers and non-habitual drinkers (P = 0.043), and between the ALDH2*1/*1 and ALDH2*2/*2 genotype (P = 0.015). The ADH1B*2 and ALDH2*2 haplotype was estimated to have a significantly higher influence on MN-RET frequency than the ADH1B*2 and ALDH2*1 haplotype (P = 0.00035), and the frequency of alcohol consumption played a significant role in MN-RET frequency on the background of the ADH1B*2 and ALDH2*1 haplotype (P = 0.012).