NEW STATE MARKERS FOR ALCOHOLISM - COMPARISON OF CARBOHYDRATE-DEFICIENT TRANSFERRIN (CDT) AND ALCOHOL MEDIATED (TRIANTENNARY) TRANSFERRIN (AMT)

1. Carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDTect-RIA, Pharmacia) was comp ared with an Immunoluminometric assay for isotransferrin separated by a short column Con-A sepharose which we have called alcohol mediated t riantennary transferrin (AMT). 2. 101 in-patients with alcohol depende ncy syndrome (alcohol consumption of more than 60 g/day) were grouped according to the time of abstinence A1 (0-7 days), A2 (8-14 days), A3 (greater than or equal to 15 days). Serum samples were obtained at adm ission (U0) and under abstinent conditions after 10-20 days (U1). All groups were controlled for AMT, CDT, GGT, MCV. Control groups were 30 inpatients with non alcoholic Liver disease (NALD) and 31 healthy volu nteers (alcohol consumption of less than 20g/day). 3. Results showed f or CDT and AMT highly significant differences between short abstinence period (group A1) and more than two weeks abstinence (group A3) alcoh olics and between group A1 and healthy controls. In group A1 CDT was s ignificantly elevated (P less than or equal to.001) compared to NALD g roup whereas AMT showed no differences. 4. CDT (cut off 22 mg/l) showe d a high diagnostic specifity (A1/controls 97%, A1/NALD 83%, A1/A3 78% ) but only a diagnostic sensitivity of 61%. AMT (cut off 260 mg/l) rev ealed a diagnostic test sensitivity of 74%. The diagnostic test specif ity of AMT was inferior to CDT (A1/controls 74%, A1/NALD 50%, A1/A3 70 %). 5. Initial CDT and AMT values in alcoholics were highly correlated (P less than or equal to.001) with time of abstinence. CDT and AMT de cline was correlated with time of abstinence. CDT was proved for high significant (P less than or equal to.001) decline over a longer period of abstinence (11-30 days) while AMT decline was significant (P =.008 ) only in early abstinence (0-10 days). Presence of a withdrawal syndr ome was highly correlated (P less than or equal to.01) with CDT values above 22 mg/l and AMT values above 260 mg/l. Furthermore in selected follow up cases it was shown that AMT seemed to be a more sensitive in dicator for short alcoholic relapses than CDT.