Phosphatidylethanol is Superior to Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin andγ-Glutamyltransferase as an Alcohol Marker and is a Reliable Estimate of Alcohol Consumption Level

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 2200-2208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Walther ◽  
Andrea de Bejczy ◽  
Elin Löf ◽  
Therese Hansson ◽  
Anders Andersson ◽  
...  
Medicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Akihiko Shibamoto ◽  
Tadashi Namisaki ◽  
Junya Suzuki ◽  
Takahiro Kubo ◽  
Satoshi Iwai ◽  
...  

: Background: This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (γ-GTP) to assess the single and combined benefits of these biological markers for the detection of chronic excessive alcohol consumption in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Methods: Biological markers were determined in blood samples from patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (drinking group, n = 35; nondrinking group, n = 81). The prediction accuracy of %CDT alone, γ-GTP alone, and their combination for the detection of excessive alcohol consumption was determined in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Results: Serum total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, γ-GTP, and alkaline phosphatase levels and %CDT were significantly higher and serum albumin levels were significantly lower in the drinking group than in the nondrinking group. The combination of %CDT and γ-GTP compared with %CDT or γ-GTP alone showed a higher prediction accuracy. The combination of %CDT and γ-GTP exhibited a higher specificity than γ-GTP alone. However, in terms of sensitivity, no significant difference was found between single or combined markers. Conclusions: The combination of %CDT and γ-GTP is considered a useful biomarker of chronic excessive alcohol consumption in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis.


Author(s):  
Ingeborg Rossow ◽  
Elin K. Bye ◽  
Inger Synnøve Moan ◽  
Carolin Kilian ◽  
Jørgen G. Bramness

Little is known about possible changes in alcohol consumption distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic. We estimated how individual changes in alcohol consumption during the pandemic translated into changes in: (i) mean consumption; (ii) dispersion of consumption distribution; and (iii) prevalence of heavy drinkers. We employed data from two independent web-surveys of Norwegian adults collected between April and July 2020 and limited to those reporting past year alcohol consumption (N1 = 15,267, N2 = 1195). Self-reports of changes in drinking behavior were quantified, assuming change being relative to baseline consumption level. During the pandemic, we found a small increase (Survey 1) or no change (Survey 2) in estimated mean alcohol consumption (which parallels to total consumption). However, in both surveys, the dispersion of the distribution increased significantly (p < 0.001). For most respondents, an average modest decline in consumption was found. However, the small fraction with the highest baseline consumption increased their consumption substantially, and in effect, the proportion of heavy drinkers increased markedly (p < 0.001). In conclusion, quantifications of reported changes in alcohol consumption during the pandemic suggest that the upper 5 to 10% of the drinkers increased their consumption and hence the prevalence of heavy drinkers increased, despite little or no change in total alcohol consumption.


1994 ◽  
Vol 164 (4) ◽  
pp. 544-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaija Seppä ◽  
Kari Löf ◽  
David Sinclair ◽  
Pekka Sillanaukee

Seven years ago the authors examined 64 consecutive female out-patients with macrocytosis (erythrocyte mean cell volume ⩾ 100 fl). The cause remained undetermined in 23 (35.9%). Their patient histories were evaluated in 1992, and the new highly specific alcohol marker, serum carbohydrate-deficient transferrin, from the frozen sera taken during the initial study was examined. It was elevated in 6 of the 23 women. Furthermore, four of these six had visited the health centre after 1985 and they all had clinical records indicative of alcohol problems. Because early intervention has proved to be effective, information about the risks of alcohol abuse (intervention) should be given to women with suspect alcohol-induced symptoms or signs.


1994 ◽  
Vol 40 (11) ◽  
pp. 2057-2063 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Fagerberg ◽  
S Agewall ◽  
A Berglund ◽  
M Wysocki ◽  
P A Lundberg ◽  
...  

Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the diagnostic usefulness of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) in serum in a cross-sectional study of 439 treated hypertensive men. We related the results to alcohol intake by questionnaire and to biochemical and hemodynamic measurements known to reflect excessive alcohol consumption. The diagnostic sensitivity and the specificity for high alcohol intake (&gt; or = 24 g/day of ethanol) were 44% and 87%, respectively. The group with reported high alcohol intake (n = 32) was characterized by hemodynamic and biochemical changes typical of alcohol abuse. The corresponding profile for the patients with increased serum CDT concentrations (n = 70) was different in several respects, indicating a considerable number of false-positive tests. We conclude that serum CDT determination had low sensitivity and specificity for excessive alcohol consumption in this group of hypertensive patients. The results illustrate the importance of evaluating new laboratory methods in unselected patient populations before drawing any conclusions about their clinical value.


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