Published reports were systematically searched for in electronic databases of Medline (source PubMed) using the search terms: Alcoholic liver disease, alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic steatohepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis, endotoxins, reactive oxygen species (ROS), alcohol metabolism, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system (MEOS), cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP 2E1), catalase, and mitochondrial acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). The gene discussed is AVP; the disease is alcoholic fatty liver disease.