Association of ALDH2 polymorphism with sensitivity to acetaldehyde-induced micronuclei and facial flushing after alcohol intake.

To investigate whether sensitivity to the induction of micronuclei by acetaldehyde is associated with genetic polymorphisms of the aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) gene, cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assays were performed on peripheral lymphocytes from 47 healthy human subjects exposed to acetaldehyde in vitro. Facial flushing following alcohol intake was analyzed to determine if it was correlated with ALDH2 gene polymorphisms. The frequencies of the ALDH2 genotypes ALDH2(1)/ALDH2(1), ALDH2(1)/ALDH2(2), and ALDH2(2)/ALDH2(2) were 66.