Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 Activity Assessed Using the Acetaldehyde Breath Test Is Associated with Benign Pancreatic Disease and Pancreatic Cancer: A Case–Control Study

Background/Objectives: Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) detoxifies acetaldehyde, and impaired ALDH2 activity has been implicated in carcinogenesis. The acetaldehyde breath test (ABT) enables noninvasive functional assessment of ALDH2 activity, but its association with pancreatic disease remains unclear. We examined associations between ABT-assessed ALDH2 activity and pancreatic disease outcomes.

Methods

This case–control study included 287 health checkup participants, 131 patients with benign pancreatic disease, and 65 patients with pancreatic cancer. Participants underwent ABT, and the acetaldehyde-to-ethanol (A/E) ratio was calculated. The ALDH2 inactive phenotype was defined as an A/E ratio ≥ 23.3. Multinomial logistic regression used health checkup participants as the reference.