title: Use of laboratory tests to monitor heavy drinking by alcoholic men discharged from a treatment program.
abstract: Changes in blood test values from the time of discharge from an alcohol treatment program to 3-month follow-up were studied in two consecutive series of alcoholic men. The parallel combination of a percent increase in gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) of greater than or equal to 20%, in aspartate aminotransferase (SGOT) of greater than or equal to 40%, and in alanine aminotransferase (SGPT) of greater than or equal to 20% over discharge values was developed as a rule and then cross-validated to identify those alcoholic men who had resumed drinking at follow-up. Serial determination of these three test values in combination can be used to distinguish recovering alcoholics who remain abstinent from those who resume drinking.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase