Taste Preference-Related Genetic Polymorphisms Modify Alcohol Consumption Behavior of the Hungarian General and Roma Populations

Ali Abbas Mohammad Kurshed; Ferenc Vincze; Péter Pikó; Zsigmond Kósa; János Sándor; Róza Ádány; Judit Diószegi

doi:10.3390/genes14030666

Taste Preference-Related Genetic Polymorphisms Modify Alcohol Consumption Behavior of the Hungarian General and Roma Populations

Genes (Basel). 2023 Mar 7;14(3):666. doi: 10.3390/genes14030666.

Authors

Ali Abbas Mohammad Kurshed^{1

2

3}, Ferenc Vincze¹, Péter Pikó⁴, Zsigmond Kósa⁵, János Sándor^{1

4}, Róza Ádány^{1

4

6}, Judit Diószegi¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary.
² Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
³ Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.
⁴ ELKH-DE Public Health Research Group, University of Debrecen, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary.
⁵ Department of Health Methodology and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, 4400 Nyíregyháza, Hungary.
⁶ Department of Public Health, Semmelweis University, 1089 Budapest, Hungary.

Abstract

Harmful alcohol consumption has been considered a major public health issue globally, with the amounts of alcohol drunk being highest in the WHO European Region including Hungary. Alcohol consumption behaviors are complex human traits influenced by environmental factors and numerous genes. Beyond alcohol metabolization and neurotransmitter gene polymorphisms, taste preference-related genetic variants may also mediate alcohol consumption behaviors. Applying the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) we aimed to elucidate the underlying genetic determinants of alcohol consumption patterns considering taste preference gene polymorphisms (TAS1R3 rs307355, TAS2R38 rs713598, TAS2R19 rs10772420 and CA6 rs2274333) in the Hungarian general (HG) and Roma (HR) populations. Alcohol consumption assessment was available for 410 HG and 387 HR individuals with 405 HG and 364 HR DNA samples being obtained for genotyping. No significant associations were found between TAS1R3 rs307355, TAS2R19 rs10772420, and CA6 rs2274333 polymorphisms and alcohol consumption phenotypes. Significant associations were identified between TAS2R38 rs713598 and the number of standard drinks consumed in the HG sample (genotype GG negatively correlated with the number of standard drinks; coef: -0.136, p = 0.028) and the prevalence of having six or more drinks among Roma (a negative correlation was identified in the recessive model; genotype GG, coef: -0.170, p = 0.049), although, none of these findings passed the Bonferroni-corrected probability criterion (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, our findings may suggest that alcohol consumption is partially driven by genetically determined taste preferences in our study populations. Further studies are required to strengthen the findings and to understand the drivers of alcohol consumption behavior in more depth.

Keywords: AUDIT; Hungarian population; Roma population; alcohol consumption; genetic association; genetic polymorphisms; taste preference.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alcohol Drinking / genetics
Alcoholism*
Humans
Hungary / epidemiology
Polymorphism, Genetic
Roma* / genetics
Taste / genetics

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00005 project. The project is co-financed by the European Union under the European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund, as well as by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (TK2016-78 and the Eötvös Loránd Research Network (TKCS-2021/32). Project no. 135784 has also been implemented with the support provided from the National Research, Development, and Innovation Fund of Hungary, financed under the K_20 funding scheme.