Does Drinking change you DNA?

Objectives and Findings of the Study

Researchers conducted this study hoping to find a biological indicator of chronic alcohol abuse.  Thirty three individuals who chronically drank heavily (more than two units of alcohol per day) were compared with 33 control subjects who had abstained from alcohol.  After a 30 day period, the entire genome of each individual was analyzed, revealing 8,636 differences in methylation between the controls and the heavy drinkers.  Fifty six of these variations were found to be significantly different between the two groups.  These methylation changes did seem to dissipate as the heavy drinkers sought treatment and achieved abstinence.  Additionally, the changes observed were unique from those observed with other drugs such as nicotine.  

Implications of These New Findings

These observed differences in methylation could be used to identify individuals with an alcohol use disorder.  Self-report information is always questionable.  If further studies continue to support these differences in DNA methylation between heavy drinkers and those who abstain, then this can be used to identify if an alcohol use disorder is present even if the individual is not completely honest about the amount they drink.  However, great caution would need to be used with such a method.  Changes in methylation can come be the results of varies antecedents.  In particular, some of the changes observed among heavy drinkers are thought not to be the result of the alcohol itself, but the nutritional deficits that accompany it.  As a result of this, these same changes could be seen in someone who doesn’t drink if they have another factor causing similar deficits. 

Limitations of the Research

The participants of this study were largely white males, because of this, it is nearly impossible to generalize the methylation to other ethnic groups.  Furthermore, many individuals who drink heavily also abuse, or have abused, other substances.  It is possible that the use and abuse of these other substances is actually responsible for the some of the methylation differences. 

Reference

Philibert, R. A., Penaluna, B., White, T., Shire, S., Gunter, T., Liesveld, J., Erwin, C., Hollenbeck, N., and Osborn, T. (2014). “A pilot examination of the genome-wide DNA methylation signatures of subjects entering and exiting short-term alcohol dependence treatment programs.” Epigenetics, 9 (9). 1212-1219.

Abstract