title: Assessing the drinking status of liver transplant patients with alcoholic liver disease.
abstract: The accurate assessment of drinking by patients with alcoholic liver disease is important both before and after liver transplantation. Unfortunately, self-reports by these individuals often underestimate their actual alcohol consumption. Several recently developed biochemical measures can provide additional information on a patient's use of alcohol. This article describes ethyl glucuronide, ethyl sulfate, phosphatidyl ethanol, and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin as biomarkers of drinking and summarizes research dealing with their application in patients with alcohol use disorders who are candidates for or recipients of liver transplantation. The article also offers suggestions for enhancing the reliability of self-report measures of drinking status.
authors.affiliation: Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (Veterans Integrated Service Network 6), Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. john.paul.allen@us.army.mil
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Friedrich M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Wurst
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thon
authors.forename: Raye Z
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Litten
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005965:Glucuronates / Q000097:blood; D020404:Glycerophospholipids / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D013463:Sulfuric Acid Esters / Q000097:blood; D013695:Temperance; D014168:Transferrin / Q000032:analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014850:Waiting Lists
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005965:Glucuronates; D020404:Glycerophospholipids; D013463:Sulfuric Acid Esters; D014168:Transferrin; C051521:phosphatidylethanol; C093924:ethyl glucuronide; C011612:diethyl sulfate