In contrast to the equivocal findings of rs1229984 with alcohol dependence in subjects of European descent, Arg48His has been strongly implicated in cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract, specifically esophageal cancer, with the protective influence of His48 being most pronounced in drinkers (N=15,841 OR=0.64 (95% CI 0.59, 0.71) p = 1 × 10−20)6–7. No evidence of association was seen in the relatively modest African American population with cancer (N=1,079 OR=0.99 (95% CI 0.46, 2.13) p = 0.98).
