Review
Copyright ©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Nov 28, 2013; 19(44): 7972-7982
Published online Nov 28, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i44.7972
Alcoholism and liver disease in Mexico: Genetic and environmental factors
Sonia Roman, Eloy Alfonso Zepeda-Carrillo, Laura Eugenia Moreno-Luna, Arturo Panduro
Sonia Roman, Eloy Alfonso Zepeda-Carrillo, Laura Eugenia Moreno-Luna, Arturo Panduro, Department of Molecular Biology in Medicine, Civil Hospital of Guadalajara, “Fray Antonio Alcalde” and Health Sciences Center, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco 44280, Mexico
Eloy Alfonso Zepeda-Carrillo, Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit and Hospital Civil Tepic “Antonio González Guevara”, Tepic, Nayarit 63000, Mexico
Author contributions: Roman S and Zepeda-Carrillo EA contributed equally to drafting the manuscript, acquiring the data and critically revising the article; Moreno-Luna LE contributed to acquiring and analyzing the data; Panduro A conceived and drafted the manuscript, analyzed the data and critically revised the manuscript; all of the authors revised and approved the final version.
Supported by The National Council of Science and Technology, (Conacyt-Fondo Sectorial, Mexico), Grant No. Salud-2010-1-139085 awarded to Roman S
Correspondence to: Arturo Panduro, MD, PhD, Department of Molecular Biology in Medicine, Civil Hospital of Guadalajara, “Fray Antonio Alcalde” and Health Sciences Center, University of Guadalajara, Hospital 278, Col. El Retiro, Guadalajara, Jalisco 44280, Mexico. apanduro@prodigy.net.mx
Telephone: +52-33-36147743 Fax: +52-33-36147743
Received: June 29, 2013
Revised: August 15, 2013
Accepted: October 17, 2013
Published online: November 28, 2013
Processing time: 165 Days and 7.6 Hours
Abstract

Alcoholism and cirrhosis, which are two of the most serious health problems worldwide, have a broad spectrum of clinical outcomes. Both diseases are influenced by genetic susceptibility and cultural traits that differ globally but are specific for each population. In contrast to other regions around the world, Mexicans present the highest drinking score and a high mortality rate for alcoholic liver disease with an intermediate category level of per capita alcohol consumption. Mexico has a unique history of alcohol consumption that is linked to profound anthropological and social aspects. The Mexican population has an admixture genome inherited from different races, Caucasian, Amerindian and African, with a heterogeneous distribution within the country. Thus, genes related to alcohol addiction, such as dopamine receptor D2 in the brain, or liver alcohol-metabolizing enzymes, such as alcohol dehydrogenase class I polypeptide B, cytochrome P450 2E1 and aldehyde dehydrogenase class 2, may vary from one individual to another. Furthermore, they may be inherited as risk or non-risk haplogroups that confer susceptibility or resistance either to alcohol addiction or abusive alcohol consumption and possibly liver disease. Thus, in this era of genomics, personalized medicine will benefit patients if it is directed according to individual or population-based data. Additional association studies will be required to establish novel strategies for the prevention, care and treatment of liver disease in Mexico and worldwide.

Keywords: Alcohol; Genes; Alcoholism; Alcohol dependence; Alcohol addiction; Alcohol abuse; Alcoholic liver cirrhosis; Anthropology

Core tip: Alcoholism and liver disease are leading global health problems. However, the severity and outcome of liver disease appear to vary between individuals and populations. In the present review, we analyze the general scope of alcohol consumption and its relationship with the pattern of drinking score in different countries. We focus on the development of alcoholism in Mexico, which has a strong historical background, and emphasize the need to understand the genetic and environmental factors affecting each population or geographical region of the world.