Author/Editor		Bilban, Marjan; Vrhovec, Sonja; Zorec-Karlovšek, Majda
Title		Blood biomarkers of alcohol abuse
Type		članek
Source		Arh Hig Rada Toksikol
Vol. and No.		Letnik 54, št. 4
Publication year		2003
Volume		str. 253-9
Language		eng
Abstract		The biological, clinical and social effects of alcohol abuse call for objective and specific biomarkers of alcohol-related diseases and early detection of alcohol consumers at risk. Alcohol abusers may exhibit several clinical and/or chemical changes. Changes in parameters such as gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) may serve as biomarkers of chronic alcoholism. All available biomarkers have two drawbacks. The first is that they indicate adverse effects in a particular organ, but tell little about their aetiology. The second is that they are not sensitive enough to detect abuse betore it results in organic impairment. The 1990s have seen the introduction of a new diagnostic biomarker, earbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT). Reduced concentrations of thls biomarker are found in serum after regular high alcohol intake. Relving on literature and their own clinical experience, the authors conclude that CDT seems to meet the clinlcal criteria of reliabllity and specificity.
Descriptors		ALCOHOLISM ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE ASPARTATE AMINOTRANSFERASE TRANSFERRIN GAMMA-GLUTAMYLTRANSFERASE ALCOHOL DRINKING ERYTHROCYTE INDICES