title: Influence of microelement concentration on the intensity of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish a nutritional and constitutional profile concerning the micronutrient plasma concentration of patients who suffer from AWS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational case control study to determine whether patients who exhibited symptoms of AWS (N = 60) had micronutrient plasmatic concentration deficiencies when compared with healthy controls (N = 34).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were statistically significant differences between the concentrations of nutrients that are correlated with glutamate hyperactivity (zinc, magnesium and folate/vitamin B12/homocysteine).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evidence from literature and our experiment suggests that brain activity, especially the glutamatergic system, might be directly involved in micronutrient concentrations. Therefore, their supplementation to the AWS patient might improve symptom evolution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro Luis
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Prior
authors.affiliation: Centro de Referência de Tratamento de Álcool, Tabaco e outras Drogas (CRATOD), São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marta Jezierski
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anna Carolina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil galduroz@unifesp.br.
authors.forename: José Carlos Fernandes
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Galduróz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000097:blood; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D018977:Micronutrients; D014168:Transferrin; D006710:Homocysteine; D014212:Tretinoin; D005293:Ferritins; D005492:Folic Acid; D007501:Iron; D002117:Calcitriol; D008274:Magnesium; D015032:Zinc; D014805:Vitamin B 12