title: Phosphatidylethanol Levels Are Elevated and Correlate Strongly with AUDIT Scores in Young Adult Binge Drinkers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare levels of phosphatidylethanol (PEth) to self-reported alcohol intake among young adult binge drinkers (18-30 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  Abstainers (n = 23), moderate (n = 22), and binge drinkers (n = 58) completed an alcohol consumption questionnaire and the AUDIT. PEth was measured in whole blood and dried blood spots via high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Also measured was mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most subjects were female (65%) and Caucasian (73%). Among binge drinkers, past-month average number of binge episodes was 7.2 ± 4; average duration of binge drinking behavior was 4.3 ± 3 years. AUDIT scores and PEth levels (ng/ml) in whole blood or dried blood spots were significantly (P < 0.001) greater in binge drinkers (13 ± 4, 186 ± 170, and 65 ± 53, respectively) compared to moderate drinkers (6 ± 3, 24 ± 29, and 11 ± 13, respectively) and abstainers (0.6 ± 0.89, 0, and 0, respectively). No differences were found in MCV and GGT among groups. There were significant correlations between whole blood and dried blood spot PEth levels and AUDIT scores (Spearman's r = 0.745 and 0.738, P < 0.0001, respectively), and whole blood and dried blood spot PEth levels were significantly correlated (0.899, P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PEth levels measured in whole blood and dried blood spots were significantly greater in binge drinkers compared to abstainers and moderate drinkers, and these levels were positively correlated with AUDIT scores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobehavioral Health Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA piano@uic.edu.
authors.forename: Mariann R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Piano
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobehavioral Health Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tiwari
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nevoral
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Shane A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020404:Glycerophospholipids / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013695:Temperance; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020404:Glycerophospholipids; C051521:phosphatidylethanol