title: The urinary ratio of 5-hydroxytryptophol to 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid in surgical patients with chronic alcohol misuse.
abstract: The urinary ratio of 5-hydroxytryptophol to 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid was reported to be elevated for a period of up to 22 h following acute alcohol ingestion. Therefore, the ratio could detect continuous alcohol consumption, in what was considered to be a high-risk surgical group, on the evening prior to surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the preoperative ratio of 5-hydroxytryptophol to 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid in patients with continuous preoperative alcohol misuse. Forty-two patients participated in this institutionally approved study, once their written informed consent had been obtained. Chronic alcoholics were defined by meeting the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria and an ethanol consumption > or =60 g/day. The urine samples were taken preoperatively and determined by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography. The urinary ratio of 5-hydroxytryptophol to 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid was significantly increased in chronic alcoholics. The ICU stay of these patients was significantly prolonged due to an increased incidence of pneumonia and sepsis. Five chronic alcoholics died, whereas no deaths occurred in the nonalcoholic group (p = 0.05). As the measurement of the urinary ratio of 5-hydroxy-tryptophol to 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid could detect alcohol consumption immediately prior to operation, this marker could assist the carbohydrate-deficient transferrin in screening for patients with high-level dependency; these patients were considered to be at a high risk of developing intercurrent complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine, Benjamin Franklin Medical Center, Free University Berlin, Germany. spies@zop-admin.ukbf.fu-berlin.de
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Spies
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herpell
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pragst
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Helander
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D015415:Biomarkers; D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000652:urine*; D006917:Hydroxytryptophol / Q000652:urine*; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014168:Transferrin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014168:Transferrin; C056759:carbohydrate-deficient transferrin; D006917:Hydroxytryptophol; D000431:Ethanol; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid