Alcohol abuse, alcohol intolerance, alcohol dependence and other alcohol-related disabilities are some of the most challenging public health problems facing our modern-day society. The purpose of this comprehensive monograph is to review the available knowledge concerning the pharmacogenetic basis of alcohol sensitivity and its physiolgical implications and to synthesize the bulk of existing knowledge regarding metabolic features and biomedical disturbances related to alcoholism. The chapters cover a broad array of disciplines including an overview of historical and epidemiological aspects, biochemistry and molecular genetics of enzymes involved in alcohol metabolism, biochemical and neuropsychopharmacological effects of alcohol. Major emphasis is placed on the role of genetic factors in alcoholism. The experimental details are summarized and a comprehensive bibliography is included.

I am pleased to respond to the wish of the Editors, Drs A. Czeizel, H. G. Benk mann and H. W. Goedde and write the Foreword to this book "Genetics ofthe Hun garian population." This book represents the result of a fruitful international scientif ic cooperation, an endeavour that has been forged and sustained in the midst of a number of difficulties. It bears ample testimony to the fact that the pursuit of science transcends national boundaries and barriers and to what can be achieved through international cooperation. It has now become possible, among other things, to present a more meaningful characterization of the different ethnic groups than had been hitherto possible, thanks to the major advances in the study of human biology through the application of a wide variety of concepts and techniques. Several new disciplines, in particular, ecogenetics, pharmacogenetics and molecular biology have come into being and are flourishing. At the risk of stating the obvious, it is perhaps worth mentioning that the trends and place of migration and urbanization that we are witnessing today are such, that, before long, differences between different human gene pools may be substantially diminished, if not entirely obliterated. This book, therefore, is timely: it provides valuable information on who the Hungarians are, where they come from and where they are heading, in short, their past, present and future, in addition to presenting a broad perspective of some aspects of current research in biomedical sciences in Hungary."

Die Pseudocholinesterase ist ein auBergewohnliches Enzym, das auf sehr verschiedenartigen Gebieten eine besondere Rolle spielt. Die Aktivitat des Enzyms im Serum wird zur Uberpriifung der Leberfunktion gemessen. Ebenso kann man durch derartige Bestimmungen auf den Grad von Ver giftungen durch Anticholinesterasen schlieBen. Es war das erste Serum Fur Anaesthe enzym, uber dessen genetische Kontrolle berichtet wurde. sisten und Chirurgen hat dieses Enzym besondere Bedeutung, da es Suc cinyldicholin abbaut und dadurch die Moglichkeit gegeben ist, ein aus gezeichnetes Kurzzeit-Muske1relaxans anzuwenden. Auf dem Gebiet der Psychiatrie dient es dazu, die Nebenwirkungen der Elektroschock-Therapie auszuschalten. Die physiologische Funktion steht immer noch zur Diskus sion. Es ist von groBem Interesse, daB die Pseudocholinesterase - im Gehirn, im Darm und in den Nervenendplatten der Muske1n - neben der "echten" Acetylcholinesterase auf tritt, die fur Acetylcholin in hohem MaBe spezifisch ist. Hohe Substratkonzentrationen hemmen dieses Enzym, wo hingegen die Pseudocholinesterase noch bei unphysiologisch hohen Kon zentrationen Acetylcholin umsetzt. Vielleicht ist die Funktion der Pseudo cholinesterase darin zu sehen, daB sie die lebensnotwendige Acetylcholin esterase bei einer unvorhergesehenen Anhaufung von Acetylcholin schutzt. Moglich ist auch, daB sie einen Schutzeffekt fUr die Acetylcholinesterase gegen kompetitive Inhibitoren, wie Z. B. das Succinyldicholin, ausubt."