Serum paraoxonase-1 in chronic alcoholics: relationship with liver disease.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between serum paraoxonase-1 and liver damage in chronic alcoholic patients. To assess the diagnostic accuracy of paraoxonase-1 plus standard biochemical tests in the assessment of liver damage in alcoholics.


METHODS
We studied 328 chronic alcoholics and 368 healthy individuals.


RESULTS
Paraoxonase-1 activity was decreased and the concentration was increased in alcoholics (P<0.001). The enzyme activity was correlated with albumin (r=0.45; P<0.001) and prothrombin time (r=0.49; P<0.001). Addition of paraoxonase-1 activity measurement to a battery of biochemical tests increased the sensitivity in differentiating between patients and controls up to 96.6% but did not improve the sensitivity in differentiating between subgroups of alcoholics.


CONCLUSIONS
Paraoxonase-1 was related to the severity of alcoholic liver disease. Its measurement was useful in discriminating between patients and healthy subjects, but did not add any valuable information in subgroups of alcoholics.
Marsillach
Judit
J
Centre de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan, Institut de Recerca en Ciències de la Salut, Reus, Spain.
Ferré
Natàlia
N
Vila
Maria C
MC
Lligoña
Anna
A
Mackness
Bharti
B
Mackness
Michael
M
Deulofeu
Ramon
R
Solá
Ricard
R
Parés
Albert
A
Pedro-Botet
Juan
J
Joven
Jorge
J
Caballeria
Joan
J
Camps
Jordi
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology*; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000201:enzymology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis
D012709:Serum Albumin; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase