title: Comparison of oxidative DNA damage between alcohol-dependent patients with and without delirium tremens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption increases oxidative stress. We previously found that levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a marker of oxidative DNA damage, are elevated in alcohol-dependent patients without delirium tremens (DTs). The aim of this study was to compare serum 8-OHdG levels between alcohol-dependent patients with and without DTs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 16 alcohol-dependent patients with DTs (DTs group) and 58 patients without DTs (non-DTs group). Alcohol withdrawal severity was evaluated using the Chinese version of the revised Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol Scale (CIWA-Ar-C) every 8 hours. Serum levels of 8-OHdG and other biological indices were assayed at baseline and after 1 week of detoxification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean 8-OHdG level in the DTs group was significantly higher than that in the non-DTs group (0.50 vs. 0.34 ng/ml, p < 0.001). A significant correlation was found between the highest CIWA-Ar-C scores and serum 8-OHdG levels (β = 0.43, p = 0.001) in the non-DTs group, but not in the DTs group (β = 0.34, p = 0.19). An area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.83 suggests that 8-OHdG levels potentially differentiate patients with DTs from those without DTs. After dividing the patients into quartiles by 8-OHdG level, we found that compared to the patients in the third and fourth quartiles, the patients in the highest quartile had an odds ratio of 24.1 (p < 0.001) to have DTs, while those in the second highest quartile had an odds ratio of 3.5 (p = 0.19). Serum 8-OHdG levels did not significantly change after 1 week of detoxification in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alcohol-dependent patients with DTs have higher serum 8-OHdG levels than those without DTs, suggesting that higher oxidative stress carries a greater risk of the occurrence of DTs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Chyi
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chiao-Chicy
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chun-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Chun-Hsin
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D000328:Adult; D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D057229:Alcoholics; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015897:Comorbidity; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000502:physiology*; D003849:Deoxyguanosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D003849:Deoxyguanosine
keywords: 8-Hydroxy-2′-Deoxyguanosine; Alcohol Dependence; Alcohol Withdrawal; Delirium Tremens; Oxidative Stress