Alcohol consumption has been increasing among men in China, and is a major contributor to the total cancer burden. Two genetic variants that alter alcohol metabolism are associated with esophageal cancer risk in East Asians.

In this large Chinese study, the authors found that certain genotypes were associated with reduced upper aero-digestive tract cancer risk, and that one of the variants may exacerbate the effects of alcohol on several cancers.

Author

Pek Kei Im, Ling Yang, Christiana Kartsonaki, Yiping Chen, Yu Guo, Huaidong Du, Kuang Lin, Rene Kerosi, Alex Hacker, Jingchao Liu, Canqing Yu, Jun Lv, Robin G. Walters, Liming Li, Zhengming Chen, Iona Y. Millwood, the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) Collaborative Group

Citation

Im, P., Yang, L., Kartsonaki, C., Chen, Y., Guo, Y., Du, H., Lin, K., Kerosi, R., Hacker, A., Liu, J., Yu, C., Lv, J., Walters, R., Li, L., Chen, Z. and Millwood, I., 2022. Alcohol metabolism genes and risks of site‐specific cancers in Chinese adults: An 11‐year prospective study. International Journal of Cancer,.

Source
International Journal of Cancer
Release date
20/01/2022

Alcohol Metabolism Genes and Risks of Site-Specific Cancers in Chinese Adults: An 11-Year Prospective Study

Abstract

Introduction

Two genetic variants that alter alcohol metabolism, ALDH2-rs671 and ADH1B-rs1229984, can modify oesophageal cancer risk associated with alcohol consumption in East Asians, but their associations with other cancers remain uncertain. 

Method and Results

ALDH2-rs671 G>A and ADH1B-rs1229984 G>A were genotyped in 150 722 adults, enrolled from 10 areas in China during 2004 to 2008. After 11 years’ follow-up, 9339 individuals developed cancer. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for site-specific cancers associated with these genotypes, and their potential interactions with alcohol consumption. Overall, the A-allele frequency was 0.21 for ALDH2-rs671 and 0.69 for ADH1B-rs1229984, with A-alleles strongly associated with lower alcohol consumption. Among men, ALDH2-rs671 AA genotype was associated with HR of 0.69 (95% confidence interval: 0.53-0.90) for IARC alcohol-related cancers (n = 1900), compared to GG genotype. For ADH1B-rs1229984, the HRs of AG and AA vs GG genotype were 0.80 (0.69-0.93) and 0.75 (0.64-0.87) for IARC alcohol-related cancers, 0.61 (0.39-0.96) and 0.61 (0.39-0.94) for head and neck cancer (n = 196) and 0.68 (0.53-0.88) and 0.60 (0.46-0.78) for oesophageal cancer (n = 546). There were no significant associations of these genotypes with risks of liver (n = 651), colorectal (n = 556), stomach (n = 725) or lung (n = 1135) cancers. Among male alcohol users, the risks associated with higher alcohol consumption were greater among ALDH2-rs671 AG than GG carriers for head and neck, oesophageal and lung cancers (Pinteraction < .02). Among women, only 2% used alcohol regularly, with no comparable associations observed between genotype and cancer.

Conclusion

These findings support the causal effects of alcohol consumption on upper aerodigestive tract cancers, with ALDH2-rs671 AG genotype further exacerbating the risks.

What’s new?

Alcohol consumption has been increasing among men in China, and is a major contributor to the total cancer burden. Two genetic variants that alter alcohol metabolism are associated with esophageal cancer risk in East Asians.

Do these variants also play a role in other cancers, or influence the effect of alcohol on cancer risk? In this large Chinese study, the authors found that certain genotypes were associated with reduced upper aero-digestive tract cancer risk, and that one of the variants may exacerbate the effects of alcohol on several cancers.

Source Website: Wiley Online Library