Investigation of alcohol dehydrogenase isozymes of biopsy gastric mucosa in Japanese.

Several milligrams of biopsy samples of the gastric mucosa from the body, the angulus and the antrum of the stomach from 32 Japanese (14 males and 18 females, 32-90 years old) were examined using isoelectric focusing combined with a sensitive and specific staining method for the detection of sigma-ADH isozyme variation. In addition, differences of isozyme activity were analyzed from the aspects of age and gender. The isozyme bands of sigma-ADH in regions of the body as well as the angulus showed detectable activity, but there was weak or no activity in the antrum in all 32 individuals. These observations were inconsistent with the previous report that sigma-ADH in polymorphic in the manner of presence or absence of isozyme bands in Japanese. sigma-ADH activity was higher in males than in females and decreased the higher age group. Consequently, sigma-ADH was not polymorphic in Japanese and the activity of sigma-ADH was influenced by factors such as anatomically distinct areas and ageing, as well as gender.