Estudio de Revisión sobre los Factores Genéticos y Epigenética del Alcoholismo

Abstract

Importance: Alcoholism is a multifactorial addictive disease whose development is attributed to socio-environmental causes and genetic factors, as it represents a social problem and according to the WHO is responsible for 3.3 million deaths a year, a large number of Research on the factors of development of the latter, which demonstrated its heritable character. Objective: To analyze the evolution and main characteristics of the different studies that show the relationship between genetics and alcoholism as a disease of complex inheritance. Methodology: A descriptive review in which the characteristics, results and advances of the studies that have been carried out and that are currently being developed in the field of the genetics of alcoholism between the years 1985-2000 are related, updating them with the studies published during the Period 2000-2016, taking into account diverse sources of information recognized, exclusion and inclusion criteria and different variables of relevance in this type of studies. Results and discussion: The heritable factor of alcoholism is associated to several genes and not to one in specific, one group is those that are involved in the biotransformation of ethanol, ADH, ALDH, CYP450 and on the other side related to the effect Of this in the organism, ie the genes associated with the dopaminergic and serotoninergic reward systems. In addition to some associated with other diseases and psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression among others. CONCLUSIONS: 1. Men have a greater predisposition to the development of alcoholism than women, genetic factors are directly associated with socioenvironmental since they have a focus of activation 2. On chromosome 4 are the ADH2 * 2 and ADH3 alleles * 3, considered as protectors.