Determination of plasma alpha-glutathione-S-transferases in chronic alcohol abusers: relationship with alcohol intake and liver involvement.
Alpha-gluthathione-S-transferases (alpha-GSTs) are enzymes involved in the cellular detoxifying processes; elevated circulating alpha-GSTs activity is considered to be an early index of liver damage. Glutathione (GSH) is the substrate for alpha-GST action.


OBJECTIVE
(1) to evaluate plasma GSH levels and alpha-GST activity in chronic alcohol abusers with or without liver cirrhosis; (2) to define the relationship between these two biochemical parameters; (3) to establish their clinical relevance in patients with alcohol abuse and/or liver damage. We studied 69 subjects (18 healthy subjects and 51 chronic alcohol abusers: 29 without liver cirrhosis and 22 with). Plasma alpha-GST activity was determined on baseline samples and every following day for a total of 10 days in five alcoholics by HEPKIT (Alpha-Biotech, Biotrin International, Dublin, Ireland). GSH was determined on all subjects' baseline samples by fluorescent high-performance liquid chromatography. Alcohol intake was evaluated in all patients by determining blood-alcohol concentrations. Significant increases in plasma alpha-GSTs were observed in 9/29 (31%) alcoholics and 3/22 (13.6%) cirrhotics irrespective of their alcohol intake. GSH was significantly lower than normal values (P < 0.001) in all alcoholics with or without cirrhosis (controls 10.4 +/- 4.8; alcoholics without cirrhosis 3.9 +/- 1.4; alcoholics with cirrhosis 3.3 +/- 1.6). No correlation was observed between plasma alpha-GST and GSH levels. Our data indicate that: (1) alpha-GST activity does not correlate with GSH levels in the plasma; (2) alpha-GSTs do not have clinical relevance as markers of recent alcohol intake; (3) in cirrhotics, alpha-GST does not provide more information than other liver function tests. However, plasma alpha-GST determination may be useful in selecting a subgroup of alcoholics in whom routine biochemical markers of liver damage are within reference ranges.
Loguercio
C
C
Gastroenterological School of Medicine, Second University of Naples, Italy.
de Girolamo
V
V
Cuomo
A
A
Argenzio
F
F
Iannotta
C
C
Disalvo
D
D
Grella
A
A
del Vecchio Blanco
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood*; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D015415:Biomarkers; D000431:Ethanol; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D005978:Glutathione