PHosphatidylethanol (PEth) concentrations in blood are correlated to reported alcohol intake in alcohol-dependent patients.
OBJECTIVE
Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is an abnormal phospholipid formed only in the presence of ethanol by the enzyme phospholipase D. PEth in blood is a promising new marker for ethanol abuse. None of the biological markers used at the present time is sensitive and specific enough for the diagnosis of alcoholism.


METHODS
The most frequently used alcohol markers [carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), and mean corpuscular volume (MCV)] were studied together with PEth in actively drinking alcohol-dependent patients (inpatients and outpatients), with regard to correlation to ethanol intake and diagnostic sensitivity of the markers. The relation between the markers was also studied.


RESULTS
PEth, CDT, and GGT correlated to ethanol intake, with the strongest correlation found for PEth. The diagnostic sensitivity for PEth was 99%, and for other markers it varied between 40 and 77%. Only when CDT was combined with GGT was a sensitivity of 94% reached. PEth correlated to CDT and GGT but not to MCV. CDT did not correlate to GGT or MCV.


CONCLUSIONS
Blood concentrations of PEth are highly correlated to ethanol intake, and the present results indicate that its diagnostic sensitivity is higher than that for previously established alcohol markers.
Aradottir
Steina
S
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Lund University Hospital, S-221 85 Lund, Sweden. steina.aradottir@med.lu.se
Asanovska
Gulber
G
Gjerss
Stefan
S
Hansson
Per
P
Alling
Christer
C
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D020404:Glycerophospholipids / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014168:Transferrin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D020404:Glycerophospholipids; D014168:Transferrin; C056759:carbohydrate-deficient transferrin; C051521:phosphatidylethanol; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase