Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin in vitreous humour: a marker of possible withdrawal-related death in alcoholics.
The possibility of performing reliable post-mortem analysis of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) concentration in vitreous humour (VH) by using a commercial assay designed for serum analysis (CDTect(TM)) as well as the usefulness of VH-CDT as a marker of alcohol misuse and possible withdrawal-related death were evaluated in a forensic sample. Detectable VH-CDT was found in 20 of 21 alcoholic subjects and in two of seven controls. By using the detection limit of the CDTect(TM) method (VH-CDT = 5 U/l) as cut-off level for a positive test, the alcoholic group was significantly separated from the control group (P = 0.0024, Fisher's exact test). The sensitivity and specificity of the test was 95% and 71%, giving a positive and a negative predictive value of 91% and 83%, respectively. Time-dependent changes of VH-CDT in the dead body could not unequivocally be excluded, which must be considered when selecting cases suitable for VH-CDT analysis. We conclude that adding VH-CDT analysis to ordinary alcohol tests may become useful in forensic medicine for establishing the so-called 'alcoholic state', which may provide a tool in research dealing with the relation between alcohol withdrawal and various causes of death in alcoholics.
Berkowicz
A
A
Department of Forensic Medicine, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden.
Wallerstedt
S
S
Wall
K
K
Denison
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D014168:Transferrin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism*; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000378:metabolism*
D015415:Biomarkers; D014168:Transferrin; C056759:carbohydrate-deficient transferrin; D000431:Ethanol