The detection of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanol in human dried blood spots

Phosphatidylethanol, a series of abnormal phospholipids formed in the presence of ethanol and phospholipase D, has gained popularity as a long-term biomarker of ethanol ingestion. A liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric method for a specific, prevalent isomer, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanol, was developed and validated using dried blood spots. Dried blood spots offer numerous advantages over venipuncture including reduced costs, invasiveness and discomfort. Dried blood spots were prepared from authentic whole blood specimens that had been tested using a previously published procedure. Comparison of the results from the two assays demonstrated excellent correlation. The data suggest that dried blood spots may be a useful tool for the detection of alcohol abuse and abstinence monitoring.