The different isoforms of transferrin have been quantified by isoelect
ric focusing in the sera of psoriasis patients with and without a hist
ory of abusing alcohol. In both male and female psoriasis subjects abu
sing alcohol, there were significant increases in the 2-sialylated for
ms by comparison to the control subjects. Psoriasis patients who had n
o evidence of alcohol abuse had similar profile for the isoforms of tr
ansferrin to that of the controls. Other groups of patients with alcoh
ol-induced tissue damage, i.e. liver, brain or muscle, used as positiv
e controls, similarly showed significant increases in the 2-sialylated
forms, by comparison to controls. These results substantiate the curr
ent use of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin as a sensitive marker of
alcohol abuse, particularly in subjects not drinking in excess of 60
g of ethanol/day but showing alcohol-related psoriasis.