CARBOHYDRATE-DEFICIENT TRANSFERRIN AS A MARKER OF ALCOHOL INTAKE - A STUDY WITH HEALTHY-SUBJECTS

This paper reports the results of a 3-week drinking experiment in 51 h ealthy male subjects, examining the value of %CDT (carbohydrate-defici ent transferrin) in the context of different levels of alcohol intake. All healthy persons were urine-tested drug-free and underwent daily b reath alcohol tests for the 7 days preceding, and during the whole 3 w eeks of, the experiment. Subjects were divided into five groups, consu ming different amounts of alcohol daily over a 3-h period in the prese nce of the investigators. The five groups consisted of 10, 9, 10, 16 a nd 6 subjects respectively and consumed a daily dose of ethanol of 20, 40, 60, 80 and 80 g respectively for 3 weeks. No significant changes in %CDT were detected in most subjects, even in the 80 g alcohol-consu ming groups. The results suggest that CDT is not sensitive for the det ection of short-term heavy drinking by healthy subjects.