title: S100B and homocysteine in the acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome.
abstract: Elevations of serum homocysteine levels are a consistent finding in alcohol addiction. Serum S100B levels are altered in different neuropsychiatric disorders but not well investigated in alcohol withdrawal syndromes. Because of the close connection of S100B to ACTH and glutamate secretion that both are involved in neurodegeneration and symptoms of alcoholism the relationship of S100B and homocysteine to acute withdrawal variables has been examined. A total of 22 male and 9 female inpatients (mean age 46.9 ± 9.7 years) with an ICD-10 diagnosis of alcohol addiction without relevant affective comorbidity were examined on admission and after 24, 48, and 120 h during withdrawal. S100B and homocysteine levels in serum were collected, and severity of withdrawal symptoms (AWS-scale), applied withdrawal medication, initial serum ethanol levels and duration of addiction were recorded. Serum S100B and homocysteine levels declined significantly (P < .05) over time. Both levels declined with withdrawal syndrome severity. Females showed a trend to a more intense decline in serum S100B levels compared to males at day 5 (P = .06). Homocysteine levels displayed a negative relationship to applied amount of clomethiazole (P < .05) and correlated with age of onset of addiction. No withdrawal seizures were recorded during the trial. As it is known for homocysteine, S100B revealed to decline rapidly over withdrawal treatment in alcoholism. This effect is more pronounced in female patients. S100B could be of relevance in the neurobiology of alcohol withdrawal syndromes. It may be indirectly related to the level of stress level or glutamatergic activity during alcohol withdrawal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Goettingen, von-Siebold-Strasse 5, 37075 Goettingen, Germany. dwedeki1@gwdg.de
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wedekind
authors.forename: Karolin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Falkai
authors.forename: Berend
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Malchow
authors.forename: Kirsten Rita
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jamrozinski
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Havemann-Reinecke
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000438:Alcohols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002719:Chlormethiazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins; C579160:S100B protein, human; D002719:Chlormethiazole; D006710:Homocysteine