title: Alteration of biological markers in alcohol-dependent individuals without liver disease during the detoxification therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The need for sensitive biological markers to detect and prove recent drinking has been the focus of many research groups. The aim of our study was to investigate the alterations of biological markers in a population of alcohol dependent individuals during the detoxification period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two alcohol-dependent individuals were admitted for alcohol detoxification on an inpatient basis. Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were obtained at admission and on a 15-day basis. Comparisons between measures were made with t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All biochemical parameters associated with alcoholism, with the exception of MCV, were statistically significantly decreased during the detoxification process (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CDT is an excellent marker of alcohol overconsumption during evaluation, as well as during the detoxification treatment. IL-6 could serve as an additional marker to CDT, a point needing further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biopathology, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece. schatzi@med.uoa.gr
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chatzipanagiotou
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalykaki
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tzavellas
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karaiskos
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paparrigopoulos
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liappas
authors.forename: Chryssoula
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nicolaou
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michalopoulou
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zoga
authors.forename: Fotini
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boufidou
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Liappas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy*; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014168:Transferrin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014168:Transferrin; C056759:carbohydrate-deficient transferrin; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase