Ethanol patch test--a simple and sensitive method for identifying ALDH phenotype.

The ethanol patch test, which is considered to be a cutaneous model of flushing, was performed on 311 healthy Japanese (237 adults and 74 children). By comparing the results with aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) phenotype determined by isoelectric focusing from hair roots samples, it was demonstrated that the ethanol patch test is a good indicator of the ALDH phenotype. The usefulness of this test in future studies was discussed.