Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin and other markers of high alcohol consumption: a study of 502 patients admitted consecutively to a medical department.
An isoform of transferrin, carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is increased in a high percentage of abusing alcoholics and has been found superior in its specificity compared with other biological markers. We used serum CDT as a screening parameter in 502 patients consecutively admitted to our medical department during a 4-week period. The intake of ethanol during the last 4 weeks was registrated by personal interviews and the mean daily consumption calculated. Serum CDT was measured at admission (CDTect) and compared with gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT), AST, ALT, and mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Serum CDT detected 18 of 26 (69%) patients who consumed > 50 g ethanol daily. The clinical sensitivity of CDT of detection ethanol consumption > 50 g daily was 69%, compared with 73%, 50%, 35%, and 52% for increased values of GGT, AST, ALT, and MCV, respectively. Altogether, 38 of 476 patients (8%) with a daily ethanol consumption < 50 g also had increased serum CDT levels. The specificity of CDT was 92%, compared with 75%, 82%, 86%, and 85% for GGT, AST, ALT, and MCV, respectively. In the 60 patients who consumed > 10 g ethanol daily, we found a significantly positive correlation between CDT and ethanol consumption (r = 0.52, p < 0.001). A positive correlation was also found between serum transferrin and CDT (r = 0.51, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the specificity of CDT is much higher compared with GGT in detecting alcohol abuse. Some acute and chronic illnesses may increase the serum level of CDT. False-positive CDT levels may be caused by changes in serum transferrin concentration.
Medical Department, Aker University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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Bell
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Tallaksen
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Try
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Haug
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D012307:Risk Factors; D014168:Transferrin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D014168:Transferrin; C056759:carbohydrate-deficient transferrin