title: Usefulness of microheterogeneity of serum alpha 1-acidglycoprotein as a marker for alcohol abuse.
abstract: Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin is considered to be the most sensitive and specific biological marker of alcohol abuse. However, in alcohol-dependent individuals, microheterogeneity is also found in other glycoproteins besides transferrin. In this study, we compared the appearance of microheterogeneity in serum transferrin and alpha(1)-acidglycoprotein to clarify whether microheterogeneity of alpha(1)-acidglycoprotein is a marker for alcohol abuse. Serum samples were obtained from alcohol-dependent individuals with and without liver disease (LD) and non-alcohol-dependent patients with LD. Microheterogeneity of serum transferrin and alpha(1)-acidglycoprotein was determined by Western blotting. Microheterogeneity of transferrin and alpha(1)-acidglycoprotein was detected, respectively, in 63.2% and 58.5% of patients with alcoholic LD. Microheterogeneity of transferrin was not detected in alcohol-dependent individuals without LD, whereas microheterogeneity of alpha(1)-acidglycoprotein was detected in 42.9%. In non-alcohol-dependent patients with decompensated cirrhosis, microheterogeneity of transferrin and alpha(1)-acidglycoprotein was detected, respectively, in 68.4% and 15.8%. In conclusion, microheterogeneity of serum alpha(1)-acidglycoprotein may be a useful marker for chronic alcohol drinking.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Ishikawa, Japan. Tsutsumi@kanazawa-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takase
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000378:metabolism*; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009961:Orosomucoid; D014168:Transferrin