Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) Polymorphism and the Risk of Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis among East Asians: A Meta-Analysis

PURPOSE: The aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) gene has been implicated in the development of alcoholic liver cirrhosis (ALC) in East Asians. However, the results are inconsistent. In this study, a meta-analysis was performed to assess the associations between the ALDH2 polymorphism and the risk of ALC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant studies were retrieved by searching PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang and Veipu databases up to January 10, 2015. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using either the fixed- or random effects model. RESULTS: A total of twelve case-control studies included 1003 cases and 2011 controls were included. Overall, the ALDH2 polymorphism was associated with a decreased risk of ALC ((*)1/(*)2 vs. (*)1/(*)1: OR=0.78, 95% CI: 0.61–0.99). However, in stratification analysis by country, we failed to detect any association among Chinese, Korean or Japanese populations. CONCLUSION: The pooled evidence suggests that ALDH2 polymorphism may be an important protective factor for ALC in East Asians.