Hepatic alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases in liver disease

To investigate the influence of liver injury on the activities of hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), these enzymes have been measured in tissue from alcoholic and non alcoholic patients with different severity of liver damage. ADH and ALDH activities decreased proportionatelly with the progression of liver disease in alcoholics. By contrast, in non-alcoholics, there was a reduction of Low-Km ALDH related with the severity of liver injury but ADH was similar in patients with chronic hepatitis and non-alcoholic cirrhosis. Furthermore, ADH was significantly lower in alcoholic than in non-alcoholic cirrhotics. These results suggests that the decreased ADH and ALDH in alcoholics are not primary abnormalities predisposing to alcoholism and alcoholic liver disease. The diminution of ADH found only in alcoholics could be due to the loss of the enzyme produced by centrolobulillar cell necrosis, that is often observed in alcoholic liver disease.