[Identification of elevated carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) serum level as transferrin (Tf)-D-variant by means of isoelectric focusing].

Many studies have shown carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) to be a sensitive and specific marker of chronic alcohol abuse. We present the case of a 23-year-old, healthy professional soccer player who caused a car accident due to alcohol consumption. Several CDT test results were elevated above the laboratory reference range and were considered to be caused by alcohol intake at a level commensurate with misuse and thus license reapplication was refused.

A new case of CDG-x with stereotyped dystonic hand movements and optic atrophy.

We report the clinical findings and the diagnostic work-up of a 17-month-old girl with CDG-x. Predominant clinical signs were, besides psychomotor retardation and truncal hypotonia, stereotyped dystonic hand movements and ophthalmological abnormalities such as optic atrophy, nystagmus and strabismus. Other symptoms that are often found in patients with CDG were not present, such as seizures, microcephaly, cerebellar hypoplasia, dysmorphic features, hepatointestinal disease, coagulopathy or multiorgan involvement.

Investigation by isoelectric focusing of the initial carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) and non-CDT transferrin isoform fractionation step involved in determination of CDT by the ChronAlcoI.D. assay.

Background: The introduction of a new set of reagents for the determination of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) as a marker of chronic alcohol abuse requires an independent evaluation of the analytic specificity of the test. This information is needed for correct interpretation and classification of test results.

Methods: Isoelectric focusing on the PhastSystem(TM) followed by immunofixation, silver staining, and densitometry was used to validate the initial transferrin isoform fractionation step on anion-exchange microcolumns involved in the ChronAlcoI.

Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin is not affected by serum separators.

We studied the possible effects on serum carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) determination by a CDTect (Pharmacia) method of serum isolation in four different types of blood-collection tubes, namely: (1) glass tubes (glass Vacutainer tubes with no additive); (2) S-Monovette Neutral tubes (plastic tubes with no additive); (3) S-Monovette Serum tubes (plastic tubes with kaolin-coated plastic granulate coagulation accelerator); and (4) S-Monovette Serum/Gel tubes (plastic tubes with kaolin-coated plastic granulate and a polymerized acrylamide resin). Using Passing and Bablok regression analysis, we did not observe significant differences in CDT concentrations determined in 58 serum samples using any of these four blood-collection systems.