title: Urinary 5-hydroxytryptophol: a possible marker of recent alcohol consumption.
abstract: Urinary 5-hydroxytryptophol (5-HTOL) is currently being evaluated as a marker of recent alcohol consumption. To compensate for urinary dilution, the molar ratio between 5-HTOL and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) is used. The 5-HTOL/5-HIAA ratio showed a satisfactory degree of individual stability when it was followed in a group of teetotallers for 1 month. The mean value of 5-HTOL/5-HIAA in a group of 69 persons abstaining from alcohol was 7.6 (pmoles 5-HTOL/nmoles 5-HIAA). Ninety-seven percent had values ranging from 4 to 17, with no value exceeding 20. A group of healthy volunteers were tested 12 hr after alcohol consumption and showed a dose-dependent and statistically significant elevation in the 5-HTOL/5-HIAA ratio. Four regular alcohol consumers who were followed during a period of 3 months of drinking had elevated values of the 5-HTOL/5-HIAA ratio in 60% of their urine samples. The present study indicates that urinary 5-HTOL/5-HIAA is a sensitive and reliable marker of recent alcohol consumption. We propose that a 5-HTOL/5-HIAA ratio greater than 20 (pmoles/nmoles) can be used to indicate recent alcohol consumption. This limit gives a low frequency of false positives; the statistical probability of having a value greater than 20 during abstinence from alcohol was calculated to be less than 0.001.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, St. Görans Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voltaire
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000652:urine*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000652:urine*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000652:urine; D006917:Hydroxytryptophol / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D006917:Hydroxytryptophol; D000431:Ethanol; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid