Novel comparison of capillary electrophoresis versus immunoassay in the measurement of total percent carbohydrate deficient transferrin.

Objectives: Novel comparison of CDT isoforms as determined by CE with an FDA-approved immunoassay kit.

Design And Methods: Subjects (n=51) were categorized by drinking status based on AUDIT questionnaire responses. CDT isoform analyses by CE were compared to a commercially available, FDA-approved immunoassay.

Biochemical markers of alcohol use in pregnant women.

Objectives: To describe the serious health consequences of alcohol (ethanol) use, especially as they relate to pregnancy and the development of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol effects (FAE). The classic markers of alcohol exposure, including blood/breath alcohol, gamma-glutamyl transferase (gammaGT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), hemoglobin-associated acetaldehyde (HAA) and carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT), are valuable and their methods of analysis are reviewed.

Conclusions: Since both FAS and FAE represent two of the leading preventable causes of mental retardation and birth defects, identification of alcohol use early in pregnancy is important to avoid adverse fetal outcomes.

Evaluation of freezing point depression osmolality for classifying random urine specimens defined as substituted under HHS/DOT criteria.

This study evaluates the analytical performance characteristics of freezing point depression osmolality in urine and osmolality as a suitable analytical indicator for determining the concentration of urine specimens submitted for workplace drug testing. Specifically, this study attempted to determine the utility of urine osmolality to serve as an indicator of substitution as defined by HHS/SAMHSA criteria. Urine osmolality was validated by determining the accuracy, precision, analytical sensitivity, reportable range, and reference interval for the method.

The defined HHS/DOT substituted urine criteria validated through a controlled hydration study.

This controlled hydration study was designed to validate the substitution criteria used by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to classify a workplace urine specimen as inconsistent with normal human urine. Study participants (n = 56) ingested at least 80 oz (2370 mL) of fluid over a 6-h period, 40 oz during the first 3 h (DOT hydration protocol) and 40 oz during the second 3-h period. Urine specimens (n = 498) were collected upon awakening, just prior to hydration, at the end of each hour of the 6-h test period, and upon awakening the next day.