Polymorphisms of Alcohol Dehydrogenase Genes ADH1Band ADH7 in Russian Populations of Siberia

Three Russian populations of Siberia were examined for allele and genotype frequency distributions of two alcohol dehydrogenase genes, ADH1B (exon 3 polymorphism A/G detectable with MslI) and ADH7 (intron 5 polymorphism G/C detectable with StyI). No interpopulation or sex difference in allele frequencies was revealed. Allele ADH1B*G (+ MslI, A2) was rare (3.6–7.5%); the frequency of the mutant ADH7 allele (–StyI, B2) was 46.02% in the total sample (N = 339). The genotype frequencies obeyed the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and the alleles were in linkage equilibrium in each population. Frequency of ADH7 allele B2 increased beyond 40 years of age in the total sample (by 11%, P = 0.001) and in the Tomsk population (by 9%, P= 0.017). The ADH1B and ADH7 polymorphisms had no effect on the antioxidant activity (AOA), which was inferred from the ability of serum to reduce the yield of thiobarbituric acid-reactive species in the Fe²⁺–lecithin system. In the Tomsk population, carriers of AHD1B allele A2 showed a significant increase in very low density lipoproteins (by 9.95%, P = 0.045) and a near significant increase in systolic pressure (by 6.8%, P = 0.068) and serum triglycerides (by 6.16%, P = 0.058).