[Alcohol metabolizing enzymes: biochemical properties, genetic heterogeneity and their possible role in alcohol metabolism in humans (author's transl)].

Recent studies on the polymorphism of alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase indicate a possible implication of enzyme variants in the metabolism and effects of ethanol. The development of highly sensitive analytical methods enabled us to study isozymes of alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase in various organ extracts, skin, fibroblast and hair root lysates. The results of family and population genetic studies in different racial groups led to a hypothesis, which may explain the observed high incidence of alcohol sensitivity among Mongoloid populations.