A total of 27 cases including 14 alcoholic and 13 control cases were selected for analysis. The cases were identical to those used in previous microarray studies (Liu et al., 2006). Alcoholics and controls were selected on the basis of alcohol intake. Controls were defined as individuals who consumed less than 20 g of ethanol per day on average. Alcoholics were defined by NHMRC/WHO criteria as individuals who consumed more than 80 g of ethanol per day for most of their adult lives. Many of the alcoholics used in this study had consumed over 200 g of ethanol per day and had been drinking for over 20 years. Alcoholics with a history of poly-drug abuse or other complicating conditions such as cirrhosis of the liver, Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome or Hepatic Encephalopathy were excluded.
