Interaction between polymorphisms of aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 genotypes and drinking habit as well as liver neoplasms caused by HBsAg

  Objective   To study the interaction between drinking habit and HBsAg with polymorphisms of aldehyde dehydrogenase-2(ALDH2)geno types in liver cancer.

  Methods   Acase-control study including 88 cases of newly diagnosed liver cancer and 88 controls matched on sex, age and resident area was carried out, blood samples from all individuals were collected and tested for ALDH2 genotypes by PCR-RFLP method as well as for HBsAg by ELISA method.

  Results   The frequencies of ALDH2 variant genot ypes(G/L+L/L)in cases and controls were 36.40% and 35.22%, and no difference was found between these two groups.The positive rates of HBsAg between cases and controls showed differences, much higher in cases(72.73%)than those in controls(22.73%).This study showed interactions index of large amount of alcohol consumption and positive rates of HBsAg with ALDH variant genotypes were 0.8320 and 0.6634, respectively.

  Conclusion   The study showed significant interaction between large amount of alcohol consumption and positive rates of HBsAg with ALDH variant genotypes, and revealed a strong relation between polymorphisms of ALDH2 genotypes and heavy alcohol consumption for susceptibility of liver cancer.