The direct ethanol metabolites, ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate (EtS), are of increasing importance for clinical and forensic applications, but there are only few studies on the kinetics of EtG in serum and none on EtS. In this study, 13 volunteers (social drinkers) drank ethanol in the form of white wine to reach a blood alcohol concentration of 0.51 +/- 0.17 g/kg, and blood and urine samples were analyzed for EtG and EtS simultaneously by chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Mean peak serum EtG and EtS concentrations were 2.9 +/- 1.3 and 2.8 +/- 1.6 micromol/l, respectively, and were reached between 4.0 +/- 0.9 h after the start of drinking (3.0 +/- 0.5 h for EtS). The mean time differences between reaching maximum blood ethanol levels and serum metabolite levels were 2.3 +/- 0.9 h for EtG and 1.2 +/- 0.5 h for EtS. In the last blood samples collected (10-11 h after the start of drinking), 11 (of 13) volunteers were still positive for EtG in serum, whereas only 2 were positive for EtS. In the serum of one female person, no EtS was detectable at any time; however, it was excreted in the urine in (low) concentrations. Ethanol was detectable in the serum for up to 8.6 h after the start of drinking, whereas EtG and EtS were detectable up to more than 5.8 h (EtG) and 4.0 h (EtS), respectively. Mean peak urinary concentrations were 401 +/- 232 micromol/l for EtG and 266 +/- 153 micromol/l for EtS, and mean peak levels were reached 6.2 +/- 0.9 h (EtG) and 5.3 +/- 1.2 h (EtS) after the start of drinking. Maximum concentrations of EtG and EtS in serum showed a wide interindividual variation and could not be correlated to the maximum blood ethanol concentrations. Correlations (p < 0.001, Kendall's Tau b) were found when comparing pairs of parameters, but mostly involved areas under the curve (AUC) of metabolites or of ethanol; one correlation linked the peak concentrations of EtG and EtS in urine.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00414-007-0180-8DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

etg ets
24
start drinking
16
ets
14
etg
12
+/- ets
12
+/-
11
ethyl sulfate
8
ethyl glucuronide
8
etg serum
8
reached +/-
8

Similar Publications

Fetal alcohol exposure is a growing public health concern. However, ascertaining its true extent remains challenging as maternal self-reports may lack validity. Increasingly, interest has turned to more objective measures of prenatal alcohol use (PAU) of which one, meconium, is recognized as a valuable tool.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the alcohol consumption among professional truck and bus drivers using direct ethanol biomarkers, and to explore its relationship with anxiety, depression, and stress.

Methods: The assessment of potential harmful drinking was conducted through the measurement of direct biomarkers: phosphatidylethanol (PEth), ethyl glucuronide (EtG), and ethyl sulfate (EtS), using dried blood spots (DBS). Additionally, self-reported data from the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) were used.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: About 95% of consumed ethanol is metabolized by oxidative pathways. Less than 1% is metabolized via nonoxidative pathways: glucuronidation, sulfation, and the formation of fatty acid esters of ethanol. In neonates, the glucuronidation pathway has been reported to be underdeveloped but matures with age.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Investigating alcohol consumption in China via wastewater-based epidemiology.

Environ Geochem Health

January 2024

School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjiaxiang Road, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China.

Alcohol abuse and addiction is a public health issue of global concern. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a forceful and effective complementary tool for investigating chemical consumption. This study examined alcohol consumption in major cities of China via WBE and compared WBE estimates with other data sources.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Ethyl glucuronide (EtG), ethyl sulfate (EtS) and phosphatidylethanol (PEth) are considered specific direct biomarkers for detecting alcohol consumption. However, PEth, which is produced in red blood cells (RBC), varies considerably between patients for unknown reasons. We here studied various confounders of PEth elimination including fibrosis after alcohol withdrawal.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!