ALDH2 rs671 Polymorphism and Coronary Heart Disease Risk Among Asian Populations: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression

Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) is the principal enzyme involved in alcohol metabolism in humans. Emerging evidence has shown that the common rs671 G > A (Glu504Lys) polymorphism in the ALDH2 gene might play a critical role in increasing the susceptibility to coronary heart disease (CHD), including myocardial infarction (MI); however, individually published studies showed inconclusive results. This metaanalysis aimed to derive a more precise estimation of the relationship between the ALDH2 rs671 polymorphism and its influence on the susceptibility to CHD and MI. Nine case-control studies were included with a total of 7358 subjects, including 1961 CHD patients, 1040 MI patients, and 4357 healthy controls. Our meta-analysis results showed that the A variant of the ALDH2 rs671 polymorphism may be associated with increase risks of CHD (odds ratios [OR] = 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06-1.75, p = 0.017) and MI (OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.22-2.20, p = 0.001). Univariate and multivariate meta-regression analyses showed no potential factors explained heterogeneity. No publication bias was detected in this meta-analysis. In conclusion, the current metaanalysis indicates that the A variant of the ALDH2 rs671 polymorphism may increase the risk of both CHD and MI among Asian populations.