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There is little information regarding the association between alcohol consumption and periodontitis risk. We assessed whether alcohol consumption and ALDH₂ genotypes were associated with periodontitis. Subjects’ lifestyle was examined by a self-administered questionnaire, and the percentage of pocket depths ≥ 3.5 mm was used as a periodontal parameter. ALDH₂ genotypes were determined with the use of a PCR/RFLP method. Multiple logistic analyses showed that alcohol consumption was significantly associated with periodontitis, and its odds ratio was 1.98. There was no significant relationship between periodontal status and ALDH₂ genotypes. However, ALDH₂*1/*2 subjects who consumed ≥ 33 g/day of alcohol had a significantly greater percentage of pocket depths ≥ 3.5 mm than those whose daily consumption was lower, while there was no significant difference in periodontal status associated with alcohol consumption in ALDH₂*1/*1 subjects. Our results suggest that alcohol consumption may be a risk indicator for periodontitis in ALDH₂*1/*2 subjects who consume larger amounts of alcohol.

Excessive drinking of alcohol is now widely known to be one of the major lifestyle choices that ca effect health. Among the various effects of alcohol drinking, cytogenetic and other genotoxic effects are of major concern from the viewpoint of prevention of alcohol-related diseases. Alcohol is first metabolized to acetaldehyde, which directly causes various types of chromosomal DNA lesions and alcohol-related diseases, and is then further detoxified to the much less toxic metabolite acetate. About 50% of Oriental people are deficient in the aldehyde-dehydrogenase 2 isozyme (ALDH2) that can most efficiently detoxify acetaldehyde. We have performed a series of experiments to investigate how the genetic deficiency in ALDH2 affects the behavioral pattern for alcohol drinking and the sensitivity of peripheral lymphocytes to the induction of chromosome alterations by exposure to alcohol and alcohol-related chemicals. We found great effects of the ALDH2 genotypes on alcohol sensitivity and alcohol-drinking behavior. We also show that lymphocytes from habitual drinkers with the deficient ALDH2 enzyme had significantly higher frequencies of sister chromatid exchanges than those from ALDH2-proficient individuals.