Genetic polymorphism in alcohol metabolism and drinking behaviour are associated with gastric cancer risk in men

In recent years, there has been a growing focus on health risks associated with alcohol consumption. A study by researchers in Japan investigated whether or not the genetic variant of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) influences the risk of gastric cancer among individuals identified as hazardous drinkers using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), which provides a comprehensive assessment of hazardous drinking behaviour.The study included men with hazardous drinking behaviour (AUDIT score ≥8) who had undergone gastric cancer screening (either endoscopy or a barium X-ray examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract) between April 2013 and March 2020 within 1 year from entry and who had subsequently undergone at least one more gastric cancer screening up to March 2021. Functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms of ALDH2 (rs671) were measured using a direct TaqMan polymerase chain reaction method with unprocessed saliva.
A total of 246 men were enrolled, comprising 193 individuals with active ALDH2 (ALDH21/1) and 53 with less-active ALDH2 (ALDH21/2). The cumulative incidence of gastric cancer in the less-active group was higher than in the active ALDH2 group (hazard ratio: 4.6, 95% confidence interval: 1.2-16.7). Alcohol consumption was lower in the less-active ALDH2 group than in the active ALDH2 group, although no marked difference was observed in the AUDIT score.
In individuals with hazardous drinking behaviour, a heightened risk of gastric cancer was observed among those with less-active ALDH2 variants, even when their alcohol consumption was comparatively lower than in those with active ALDH2 variants.
Source: Asanuma, K., Chiba, T., Tadano, T. & Kato, K. Genetic polymorphism in alcohol metabolism and drinking behavior are associated with gastric cancer risk in men. Internal Medicine, 64 (1):41-46, 2025