Comparative study of erythrocyte aldehyde dehydrogenase in alcoholics and control subjects.

Human erythrocyte aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH, EC 1.2.1.3) shows a single activity band on starch gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel (pI = 5.0-5.3). The erythrocyte enzyme is identical with the slower migrating, disulfiram-sensitive human liver ALDH isozyme II. Significantly decreased activity of erythrocyte ALDH was observed in chronic alcoholics when compared with healthy controls and non-alcoholic psychiatric and gastrointestinal patients. The measurement of ALDH in erythrocyte lysates may offer yet another sensitive and specific biochemical marker of alcoholism.