Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Alcohol Dehydrogenase 1B/Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 Mutant Gene Have Higher Values of Serum Alanine Transaminase

Abstract

Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) share similar pathophysiologies to those of patients with alcohol liver disease. Alcoholic metabolic enzyme-related genes (alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2)) may be associated with pathophysiology in NAFLD patients. In this study, the association between ADH1B/ALDH2 gene polymorphism and serum metabolic factors, body statures, and hepatic steatosis/fibrosis status was evaluated in patients with NAFLD. Using biochemistry data, abdominal ultrasonography, fibrosis evaluation (Kpa), and steatosis evaluation (CAP), ADH1B gene SNP rs1229984 and ALDH2 gene SNP rs671 polymorphism were analyzed in sixty-six patients from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022. The percentage of the mutant type (GA + AA) was 87.9% (58/66) in the ADH1B allele and 45.5% (30/66) in the ALDH2 allele. Patients with the mutant-type ADH1B/ALDH2 allele had higher values of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) than the wild type (β = 0.273, p = 0.04). No association was observed between body mass index, serum metabolic factors (sugar and lipid profile), CAP, kPa, and ADH1B/ALDH2. A high proportion of the mutant-type ADH1B allele (87.9%) and ALDH2 allele (45.5%) was observed in patients with NAFLD. No association was observed between ADH1B/ALDH2 allele, BMI, and hepatic steatosis/fibrosis. Patients with the mutant-type ADH1B/ALDH2 allele had higher values of ALT than those with the wild type.