The protective effects of variants in ADH1B that were observed in prior alcohol studies were evident for the maximum number of drinks consumed in a 24-hour period and AUD symptoms in both populations (when analyzed across sex). However, among EA males, the protective effect against development of AUD symptoms conferred by the A allele on ADH1B-rs1229984 was not present in individuals who had experienced adverse events in childhood. Consistent with the extensive literature on early adversity and alcohol-related problems (Afifi et al., 2012, Fergusson et al., 1996a, Kendler et al., 2000, Kessler et al., 1997b, Nelson et al., 2006, Schilling et al., 2007), childhood adversity predicted both alcohol outcomes in African-Americans as well as AUD symptoms in EA women, but there was evidence of moderation of the genetic effect only in EA men. There is a paucity of research on sex and population differences in the joint contributions of environmental factors and genetic variants associated with AUD to alcohol phenotypes, yet this line of research is highly informative in identifying resilient and high-risk populations. Exploration of moderation by other environmental
