title: Orexin in Patients with Alcohol Dependence Treated for Relapse Prevention: A Pilot Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to assess the blood concentration of orexin and its association with other clinical factors in patients with alcohol dependence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two males hospitalized on an addiction treatment ward due to alcohol dependence and 23 healthy men as a control group were enrolled in the study. The measurement of orexin in the blood was made at the beginning of the treatment (after withdrawal symptoms had stopped) and again after 4 weeks of observation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the beginning of the observation, the alcohol-dependent patients had significantly greater orexin blood concentration than the control group. After 4 weeks of treatment for relapse prevention, the blood orexin level decreased significantly to a value similar to that in the control group. At the beginning of the study, more severely alcohol-dependent patients (Short Alcohol Dependence Data [SADD] score range: 20-45) had significantly greater orexin blood concentration than individuals with moderate addiction severity (SADD score range: 10-19). However, after 4 weeks of abstinence, the peptide blood concentration was similar in both groups of alcoholic patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Orexin or its receptor is a potential target for relapse prevention treatment, but further study with long-term observation is needed to verify the usefulness of blood orexin determination as a marker of alcohol relapse risk.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ziółkowski
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland czarneckidamian@cm.umk.pl.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Czarnecki
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Budzyński
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rosińska
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Żekanowska
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Góralczyk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000068797:Orexins / Q000097:blood*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000068797:Orexins