Obesity as a cause of "false-positive" alcohol misuse laboratory investigations.
Three patients are reported with a prior history of alcohol misuse accompanied by abnormal liver toxicity tests and other indices of alcohol misuse. A decreased but persistently raised serum gamma-glutamyl transferase activity during subsequent abstinence or controlled drinking was interpreted incorrectly as due to continued alcohol misuse whereas obesity-related fatty liver was the probable cause. The value of serum carbohydrate deficient transferrin assays in the differential diagnosis of abnormal liver toxicity tests is emphasized.
Peters
T J
TJ
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, King's College, London and Kent Institute of Medicine and Health Science, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK.
Cook
C C H
CC
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005235:Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006529:Hepatomegaly / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014463:Ultrasonography; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D002241:Carbohydrates; D014168:Transferrin; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase