AI Article Synopsis
- Alcohol is a leading cause of death linked to diseases in Western countries, highlighting the need for effective biomarkers to detect excessive use.
- Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) and the combination of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) with CDT are the most reliable current markers for monitoring alcohol intake.
- Emerging biomarkers like phosphatidylethanol and ethyl glucuronide show promise for better early detection of alcohol abuse but are not yet standard in clinical settings.
Article Abstract
Alcohol and alcohol-related diseases have become a major cause of death in Western countries. The most sensitive and specific of the commonly used biomarkers of alcohol intake are carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT), and the combination of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and CDT. Other widely used laboratory markers are GGT, mean corpuscular volume of erythrocytes and the ratio of aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase. Blood ethanol levels reveal recent alcohol use. However, more specific and sensitive biomarkers to improve the detection of excessive alcohol use at an early stage are needed. New biomarkers, not yet used in routine clinical work, include phosphatidylethanol, fatty acid ethyl esters, ethyl glucuronide, sialic acid, and acetaldehyde adducts.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/CCLM.2007.190 | DOI Listing |
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