Alcohol and Alcoholism Vol. 34, No. 5, pp. 760-766, 1999
© 1999 Medical Council on Alcoholism
INFLUENCE OF AGE, ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND ABSTINENCE ON THE SENSITIVITY OF CARBOHYDRATE-DEFICIENT TRANSFERRIN, 
-GLUTAMYLTRANSFERASE AND MEAN CORPUSCULAR VOLUME
University of Tübingen, Department of Psychiatry, Addiction Research Centre, Osianderstrasse 24, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Received 18 September 1998; first review notified 25 January 1999; accepted 16 March 1999
Duration of abstinence before blood test, alcohol consumption and age was examined in 177 male alcohol-dependent patients as factors influencing serum carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT), serum 
-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV). The strongest influence on all markers was the factor ‘duration of abstinence before blood test’. In patients who had been abstinent for >4 days before the blood test, the markers had low sensitivities (GGT, 33%; CDT, 14%; MCV, 42%), whereas in patients with 
4 days of abstinence the markers had reasonably good sensitivities (GGT, 72%; CDT, 56%; MCV, 48%). GGT was more sensitive than CDT (P < 0.05) and MCV (P < 0.001). The combined use of CDT and GGT had sensitivity of over 90%. Mean alcohol consumption in the 30 days prior to the blood test had a significant effect on CDT and GGT, but not on MCV. Age did not have a clear effect on CDT and GGT. For MCV, a significant and linear increase with age was shown. We conclude that GGT is the most sensitive of these three markers. Using GGT and CDT combined, sensitivity can be enhanced to over 90%. The period of abstinence before the blood test has a strong influence on CDT and GGT. If a longer period of abstinence is suspected, MCV should also be measured, in order to detect evidence of earlier heavy drinking.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. Kravos and I. Malesic Glutamate Dehydrogenase as a Marker of Alcohol Dependence Alcohol Alcohol., October 7, 2009; (2009) agp070v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Fleming and M. Mundt Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin: Validity of a New Alcohol Biomarker in a Sample of Patients with Diabetes and Hypertension J Am Board Fam Med, July 1, 2004; 17(4): 247 - 255. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Junghanns, J. Backhaus, C. Veltrup, J. Dageforde, H. Bruckmann, and T. Wetterling MILDLY DISTURBED HEPATIC AND PANCREATIC FUNCTION DURING EARLY ABSTENTION FROM ALCOHOL IS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAIN ATROPHY AND WITH DISTURBED PSYCHOMETRIC PERFORMANCE Alcohol Alcohol., March 1, 2004; 39(2): 113 - 118. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Siegfried, C. D. H. Parry, N. K. Morojele, and D. Wason Profile of drinking behaviour and comparison of self-report with the CAGE questionnaire and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin in a rural Lesotho community Alcohol Alcohol., May 1, 2001; 36(3): 243 - 248. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Arndt Carbohydrate-deficient Transferrin as a Marker of Chronic Alcohol Abuse: A Critical Review of Preanalysis, Analysis, and Interpretation Clin. Chem., January 1, 2001; 47(1): 13 - 27. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|