ALDH2 Polymorphism rs671 *1/*2 Genotype is a Risk Factor for the Development of Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis in Hakka...

Alcoholics are prone to alcoholic cirrhosis (ALC). Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is involved in alcohol metabolism. Herein, the relationship between ALDH2 genotypes and ALC was analyzed among Hakka alcoholics in southern China.

A total of 213 alcoholics and 214 non-alcoholics were included in the study. The ALDH2 gene rs671 polymorphism was analyzed, life history, disease history, and auxiliary examination results of these participants were collected.

The alcoholics had higher level of total serum protein, and serum globulin, lower level of serum albumin, serum albumin/globulin ratio, serum prealbumin, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) than non-alcoholics. In the 213 alcoholics, 180 developed ALC. There were 206 non-ALC persons in the 214 non-alcoholics. The proportion of the ALDH2 rs671 G/G homozygous (*1/*1) was significantly lower in ALC patients (83.3%) than that of other groups (100.0% in non-ALC in alcoholics, 95.6% in non-ALC in non-alcoholics), while the proportion of the G/A heterozygous (*1/*2) was significantly higher in ALC patients (16.7%) than that of other groups (0% in non-ALC in alcoholics, 4.4% in non-ALC in non-alcoholics). Logistic regression analysis indicated that participants with low level of NLR (adjusted OR 5.543, 95% CI 2.964-10.368, P<0.001), LMR (adjusted OR 9.256, 95% CI 4.740-18.076, P<0.001), and PLR (adjusted OR 6.047, 95% CI 3.372-10.845, P<0.001), and ALDH2 G/A genotype (adjusted OR 6.323, 95% CI 2.477-16.140, P<0.001) had a significantly higher risk of ALC.

ALDH2 polymorphism rs671 *1/*2 genotype is a potential risk factor for the development of ALC among Hakka alcoholics.