title: Evaluation of serum carbohydrate-deficient transferrin by HPLC and MALDI-TOF MS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The percentage of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (%CDT) in serum is a marker of habitual alcohol intake that can be determined by antibody detection of abnormal disialo sugar chains at D432 and D630. However, this approach lacks specificity for alcoholic liver disease. To decrease the false-positive rate in patients with non-alcoholic liver diseases, we developed a screening method using the disialo sugar chain at D630 alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum was obtained from 12 patients with alcoholic liver disease, 12 with type C chronic liver disease, 6 with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and 12 healthy non-alcohol drinkers. Transferrin with two sialic acids (disialotransferrin) was fractionated from serum using HPLC, digested with trypsin, and evaluated using MALDI-TOF MS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An abnormal sugar chain at D630 of transferrin was not detected in healthy subjects or in patients with chronic liver disease or NASH, but was detected in 9 patients (75%) with alcoholic liver disease. Positive results were found in 3 samples that were negative using an N-Latex CDT kit and in one sample negative for γ-glutamylaminotransferase and CDT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Detection of CDT by HPLC/MALDI-TOF MS based on an abnormal sugar chain at D630 may permit identification of habitual alcohol drinkers when used in combination with current markers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Biochemistry, School of Life and Environmental Science, Azabu University, Japan; Clinical Proteomics Research Center, Chiba University Hospital, Japan. Electronic address: sogawa@azabu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sogawa
authors.affiliation: Clinical Proteomics Research Center, Chiba University Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumie
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.affiliation: Center for Disease Proteomics, School of Science, Kitasato University, Japan.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawshima
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Diagnosis, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan.
authors.forename: Mako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: Clinical Proteomics Research Center, Chiba University Hospital, Japan; Department of Molecular Diagnosis, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan.
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Biochemistry, School of Life and Environmental Science, Azabu University, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanda
authors.affiliation: Kashiwado Memorial Foundation, Kashiwado Clinic in Port-Square, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takizawa
authors.affiliation: National Hospital Organization Kurihama Alcoholism Center, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshinao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.affiliation: Clinical Proteomics Research Center, Chiba University Hospital, Japan; Department of Molecular Diagnosis, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nomura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D014168:Transferrin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014168:Transferrin; C056759:carbohydrate-deficient transferrin
keywords: Alcohol; Disialotransferrin; HPLC; MALDI-TOF MS; Serum