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Phosphatidylethanol is Superior to Carbohydrate‐Deficient Transferrin and γ ‐Glutamyltransferase as an Alcohol Marker and is a Reliable Estimate of Alcohol Consumption Level
Author(s) -
Walther Lisa,
Bejczy Andrea,
Löf Elin,
Hansson Therese,
Andersson Anders,
Guterstam Joar,
Hammarberg Anders,
Asanovska Gulber,
Franck Johan,
Söderpalm Bo,
Isaksson Anders
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/acer.12883
Subject(s) - carbohydrate deficient transferrin , phosphatidylethanol , alcohol , alcohol consumption , medicine , biomarker , heavy drinking , placebo , gastroenterology , chemistry , biochemistry , pathology , phospholipid , alternative medicine , membrane , phosphatidylcholine
Background In clinical practice as well as research situations, it is of great importance to get reliable information about a patient's alcohol consumption. The aim of the study was to investigate the correlation of alcohol biomarkers (phosphatidylethanol [PEth], carbohydrate‐deficient transferrin [ CDT ], γ ‐glutamyltransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase) to retrospective as well as diary‐based alcohol self‐reports and to examine whether it is possible to correlate a biomarker result to a more precise level of alcohol consumption. Methods One hundred and sixty alcohol‐dependent patients were included in a randomized, placebo‐controlled clinical trial of pharmacotherapy for alcohol dependence, of which 115 (76 men and 39 women) completed the study. Retrospective alcohol consumption data were collected at baseline, and alcohol diaries were used during the study. Blood samples for determination of alcohol biomarkers were collected on 5 occasions during the study. Results PE th and CDT showed a better correlation with alcohol consumption documented in the diary ( PE th r s = 0.56 and CDT r s = 0.35) than with retrospective consumption data ( PE th r s = 0.23 and CDT r s = 0.22). An even higher correlation ( r s = 0.63) was seen between the 2 alcohol biomarkers PE th and CDT . At all consumption levels, PE th had the highest sensitivity of all biomarkers studied. Conclusions PE th was the biomarker with the best correlation to self‐reported alcohol consumption. PE th was superior to CDT owing to its substantially higher sensitivity but also due to its closer correlation to self‐report. PE th values can be translated into an approximate level of alcohol consumption and PE th appears to be a more reliable measure of alcohol consumption than self‐reports.