The Utility of Commonly Used Laboratory Tests to Screen for Excessive Alcohol Use in Clinical Practice.

Background: This current study was undertaken to carefully assess the accuracy of routinely used laboratory tests in detecting excessive/recent alcohol use. We also determined the kinetics of these markers in subjects who underwent an intensive alcohol rehabilitation program.

Methods: The study cohort consisted of 210 nonexcessive drinkers, 272 excessive drinkers, and 76 with alcoholic cirrhosis.

Brief report: genetics of alcoholic cirrhosis-GenomALC multinational study.

Background: The risk of alcohol-related liver cirrhosis increases with increasing alcohol consumption, but many people with very high intake escape from liver disease. We postulate that susceptibility to alcoholic cirrhosis has a complex genetic component and propose that this can be dissected through a large and sufficiently powered genomewide association study (GWAS).

Methods: The GenomALC Consortium comprises researchers from Australia, France, Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States, with a joint aim of exploring the genetic and genomic basis of alcoholic cirrhosis.

Novel serum biomarkers for detection of excessive alcohol use.

Background: Construct interview that correctly identifies those with alcohol use disorder have limitation, especially when the subjects are motivated to minimize the magnitude of drinking behavior. Current laboratory tests to detect excessive alcohol consumption are limited by marginal sensitivity/specificity. Excessive drinking has been shown to affect several organ systems, which may be reflected in changes in quantity of plasma proteins.

Increasing serum pre-adipocyte factor-1 (Pref-1) correlates with decreased body fat, increased free fatty acids, and level of recent alcohol consumption in excessive alcohol drinkers.

Patients with alcoholic liver disease have been reported to have a significantly lower percentage of body fat (%BF) than controls. The mechanism for the reduction in %BF in heavy alcohol users has not been elucidated. In adipose tissue, Pref-1 is specifically expressed in pre-adipocytes but not in adipocytes.

Qualitative description of dental hygiene practices within oral health and dental care perspectives of Mexican-American adults and teenagers.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to identify dental hygiene themes voiced by adults and teenagers of Mexican origin [or Mexican Americans (MAs)] and place these themes within the larger landscape of oral health and dental care perceptions.

Methods: Interviews with urban-based MAs were analyzed to identify barriers, beliefs, and behaviors influencing engagement in dental hygiene practices.

Results: Adult (n = 16, ages 33-52) and teenage (n = 17, ages 14-19) MAs reported themes pertaining to structural factors (financial and economic-related barriers, the dual challenges of reduced access to care vis-à-vis successfully navigating the dental care system, and the effects of reduced social support derived from migration) and to individual factors (different agendas between MAs and health systems for dental care utilization and indications for oral self-care, including limited dental hygiene instruction from professionals and larger impacts from school-based and mass media).