Alcohol is a recreational
drug but also a cause of many diseases
Consumption of alcoholic beverages is part of our
culture. However, it is also the most widely substance
of abuse and its toxicity causes more deaths anually
than all other substances of abuse combinded.
When alcohol is consumed exceeding certain limits
over a prolonged period of time it can induce severe
liver damage such as alcoholic hepatitis, alcoholic
cirrhosis and even cancer of the liver. According
to the WHO up to 20 and 40 grams/day of alcoholic
beverages for women and men, respectively, are considered
safe.
Alcohol is also responsible for other diseases such
as pancreatitis and certain forms of cancers. THe
mechanism(s) leading to these diseases, in particular
alcoholic liver disease, are not fully defined yet
but are a topic of research in many laboratories including
mine.
By far not all people drinking in excess of the above
limits develop organ damage - a hitherto uneplained
phenomenon. We assume that there are protective factors
in the environment (avoidance of other hepatotoxin)
but also genetic factors which may protect from alcohol
toxicity.
Excessive consumption of alcohol impairs the adsorption
of vitamins and trace elements and can lead to deficiency
syndromes. Understanding these processes is central
to be able to develop adequate treatments of alcoholic
liver disease.
My research interests focus
on the following factors:
- Identification of genetic risk
factors for alcoholic iver disease
- Interactions between alcohol
and its main metabolite, acetaldehyde, with nutrients
- Understanding the carcinogenic
effects of alcohol and thereby to develop strategies
for prevention.
Genetic risk factors
We assume that many different genes are involved in
the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease. Variability
in certein genes - so called polymorphisms - can render
an individual more susceptible to the toxic effects
of alcohol. Such polymorphisms can be studied at the
gene but also at the functional level. We investigate
the prevalence of different polymorphism and try to
establish a link to susceptibility to alcoholic liver
disease.
Genotyping for the
polymorphism of Alcohol-Dehydrogenase (ADH1C) by the
polymerase chain reaction and Restriction fragment
lenght polymorphism
Alcohol and nutrition
Alcohol contains almost as many calories as fat and
more than carbohydrates. Nevertheless, heavy drinkers
are often malnourished. We are mainly interested in
the interaction of alcohol with vitamin A and folic
acid, since both of them play important roles in the
pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease and cancer.
Alcohol
und cancer
Alcohol causes or facilitates cancers of mouth and
throat, esophagus, liver, colon and the mammary gland.
Alcoholic liver cirrhosis is clearly a precancerous
condition. Here again, many environmental and genetic
factors are involved. A better understanding of those
is of considerable epidemiologic interest and may
help to prevent alcohol-induced cancers.
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