Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) are important enzymes that eliminate toxic aldehydes by catalysing their oxidation to non-reactive acids. It is reported that a deficiency in the ALDH2 is associated with the alcohol flush reaction. More than 40% of the East Asians population carries a common ALDH2 mutant allele, which results in a dramatic reduction in the enzymatic activity when compared with the wild-type allele.
