ALDH2, ADH1B and Alcohol Expectancies in Asian Americans

描述（由申请人提供）： 最近的证据表明，亚裔美国人中酗酒和酒精使用障碍的比例增加。ALDH2和ADH1B基因型的多态性被证明会影响亚洲人的酒精敏感性和饮酒行为，然而，很少有研究试图在酒精使用的心理社会理论的背景下研究遗传因素。这项研究的主要目的是确定遗传因素影响亚裔美国人饮酒的社会心理机制。有人提出，酒精预期理论提供了一个站得住脚的概念框架，通过这个框架可以理解遗传对饮酒的影响，并且对酒精的“潮红反应”的预期（即，生理预期）介导遗传对饮酒的影响。在研究1中，将采用定性方法开发一种新的生理预期指标，该指标特异于与ALHD2和ADH 1B基因型变异相关的潮红反应。研究2试图在300名亚裔美国人的样本中验证这一措施。研究3将从一项正在进行的大学生饮酒研究中招募180名中国和韩裔美国大学生，并将采用基因分型程序来确定ALDH 2和ADH 1B状态。遗传因素和预期之间的关系将进行检查，并将评估预期作为遗传对饮酒的影响的中介。还将审查种族和性别差异。通过共同研究与饮酒相关的遗传和心理社会因素，本研究旨在进一步对亚裔美国人的酒精使用病因进行生物心理社会解释。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Recent evidence suggests increasing rates of heavy drinking and alcohol use disorders among Asian Americans. Polymorphisms in ALDH2 and ADH1B genotypes are demonstrated to influence alcohol sensitivity and drinking behavior in Asians, however, few studies have attempted to examine genetic factors in context with psychosocial theories of alcohol use. The overarching aim of this research is to identify psychosocial mechanisms by which genetic factors influence drinking in Asian Americans. It is proposed that alcohol expectancy theory offers a tenable conceptual framework through which genetic effects on drinking may be understood, and that expectancies specific to the "flushing response" to alcohol (i.e., physiological expectancies) mediate genetic influences on drinking. In Study 1, qualitative methods will be employed to develop a novel measure of physiological expectancies specific to the flushing response associated with variation in ALHD2 and ADH1B genotypes. Study 2 seeks to validate this measure in a sample of 300 Asian Americans. Study 3 will recruit 180 Chinese- and Korean-American undergraduates from an ongoing study of college student drinking and will employ genotyping procedures to establish ALDH2 and ADH1B status. Relationships between genetic factors and expectancies will be examined, and expectancies will be evaluated as a mediator of genetic effects on drinking. Ethnic and gender differences will also be examined. By jointly examining genetic and psychosocial factors related to drinking, this research aims to further a biopsychosocial account of alcohol use etiology in Asian Americans.