title: Diagnostic values of surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization technology for screening of habitual drinkers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The currently available biological markers are limited in sensitivity and specificity for screening of excessive alcohol drinkers. We recently purified and identified 3 potential markers for alcoholism (5.9 and 7.8 kDa peptides and 28 kDa protein) by using surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization (SELDI-TOF MS) technology. In the present study, we determined the diagnostic values of these novel markers in screening habitual drinkers with moderate alcohol consumption (hereafter habitual drinkers) in the general population as compared with 2 conventional markers: gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples obtained from a total of 128 Japanese who sought regular medical checkup were analyzed by SELDI-TOF MS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The relative intensities of the 5.9 and the 28 kDa peak of habitual drinkers were significantly different from those in nondrinkers even in GGT nonresponders. The sensitivity and specificity were the highest in 5.9 kDa. When 5.9, 28 kDa, and GGT were combined, 96.8% of the habitual drinkers were successfully screened with a specificity of 60.9%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study clearly indicate that the 5.9 kDa peak is a promising novel biological marker for moderate alcohol consumption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Diagnosis, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sogawa
authors.forename: Sakae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Itoga
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tomonaga
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nomura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology; D001054:Apolipoproteins A / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D040901:Proteomics; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D014168:Transferrin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001054:Apolipoproteins A; D015415:Biomarkers; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D014168:Transferrin; C056759:carbohydrate-deficient transferrin; C018543:fibrinogen fragment E; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase