title: Formation of phosphatidylethanol and its subsequent elimination during an extensive drinking experiment over 5 days.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For almost 30 years, phosphatidylethanol (PEth) has been known as a direct marker of alcohol consumption. This marker stands for consumption in high amounts and for a longer time period, but it has been also detected after 1 high single intake of ethanol (EtOH). The aim of this study was to obtain further information about the formation and elimination of PEth 16:0/18:1 by simulating extensive drinking.
  
  
  METHODS
  After 3 weeks of alcohol abstinence, 11 test persons drank an amount of EtOH leading to an estimated blood ethanol concentration of 1 g/kg on each of 5 successive days. After the drinking episode, they stayed abstinent for 16 days with regular blood sampling. PEth 16:0/18:1 analysis was performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (high-performance liquid chromatography 1100 system and QTrap 2000 triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Values of blood alcohol were obtained using a standardized method with headspace gas chromatography flame ionization detector.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maximum measured concentrations of EtOH were 0.99 to 1.83 g/kg (mean 1.32 g/kg). These values were reached 1 to 3 hours after the start of drinking (mean 1.9 hours). For comparison, 10 of 11 volunteers had detectable PEth 16:0/18:1 values 1 hour after the start of drinking, ranging from 45 to 138 ng/ml PEth 16:0/18:1. Over the following days, concentrations of PEth 16:0/18:1 increased continuously and reached the maximum concentrations of 74 to 237 ng/ml between days 3 and 6.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This drinking experiment led to measurable PEth concentrations. However, PEth 16:0/18:1 concentrations stayed rather low compared with those of alcohol abusers from previous studies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University Medical Centre, Freiburg, Germany. heike.gnann@uniklinik-freiburg.de
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gnann
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weinmann
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thierauf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D015415:Biomarkers; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005410:Flame Ionization; D020404:Glycerophospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D014168:Transferrin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D055815:Young Adult; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D020404:Glycerophospholipids; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D014168:Transferrin; C056759:carbohydrate-deficient transferrin; C051521:phosphatidylethanol; D000431:Ethanol; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase