Esophageal Cancer
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 7, 2005; 11(33): 5103-5108
Published online Sep 7, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i33.5103
Relationship between genetic polymorphisms of alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma risk in males
Chia-Fang Wu, Deng-Chyang Wu, Hon-Ki Hsu, Ein-Long Kao, Jang-Ming Lee, Cheng-Chieh Lin, Ming-Tsang Wu
Chia-Fang Wu, Ming-Tsang Wu, Graduate Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and Department of Occupational Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, China
Hon-Ki Hsu, Department of Chest Surgery, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, China
Ein-Long Kao, Department of Chest Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, China
Jang-Ming Lee, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, China
Cheng-Chieh Lin, Ming-Tsang Wu, Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University and Hospital, Taichung 404, Taiwan, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the Taiwan National Science Council, No. NSC 90-2320-B-037-040 and NSC 90-2320-B-037-052 and the Taiwan National Health Research Institute, No. NHRI-CN-IN-9007P and NHRI-EX949428PI
Correspondence to: Dr. Ming-Tsang Wu, Graduate Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, China. mingtsangwu@yahoo.com
Telephone: +886-7-312-1101-2315 Fax: +886-7-3221806
Received: December 22, 2004
Revised: February 15, 2005
Accepted: February 18, 2005
Published online: September 7, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the association between the genetic polymorphisms of ADH2 and ALDH2, lifetime alcohol consumption and esophageal cancer risk in the Taiwanese men.

METHODS: Between August 2000 and June 2003, 134 pathologically-proven esophageal squamous cell carcinoma male patients and 237 male controls were recruited from Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital and Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital in southern Taiwan. ADH2 and ALDH2 polymorphisms were genotyped using PCR-RFLP.

RESULTS: Compared to those with ADH2*2/*2, individuals with ADH2*1/*2 and ADH2*1/*1 had 2.28- and 7.14-fold, respectively, increased risk of developing esophageal cancer (95%CI = 1.11-4.68 and 2.76-18.46) after adjusting for alcohol consumption and other covariates. The significant increased risk was also noted among subjects with ALDH2*1/*2 (adjusted OR (AOR) = 5.25, 95%CI = 2.47-11.19), when compared to those with ALDH2*1/*1. The increased risk of esophageal cancer was made greater, when subjects carried both ADH2*1/*1 and ALDH2*1/*2, compared to those with ADH2*1/*2 or ADH2*2/*2 and ALDH2*1/*1 (AOR = 36.79, 95%CI = 9.36-144.65). Furthermore, we found a multiplicative effect of lifetime alcoholic consumption and genotypes (ADH2 and ALDH2) on esophageal cancer risk.

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that polymorphisms of ADH2 and ALDH2 can modify the influence of alcoholic consumption on esophageal cancer risk.

Keywords: Esophageal cancer; Alcohol; Alcohol dehydrogenase; Aldehyde dehydrogenase; Genetic polymorphisms