Clinical correlations with carbohydrate-deficient transferrin levels in women with alcoholism

Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) has received increasing attention as a potential biological marker for heavy drinking or as an objective mark er of relapse in patients who are treated for alcohol dependence. Previous studies have demonstrated the utility of CDT among men, but there are fewer and inconsistent reports on the utility of CDT among women, This study rep orts in a sample of 40 alcohol-dependent women, the association between CDT levels, and several different types of measures of drinking intensity incl uding frequency of heavy drinking, Although the majority of drinking indice s correlated with CDT levels in men, among women, CDT levels were significa ntly correlated with the percentage of days of heavy drinking when heavy dr inking day was defined as drinking 6 or more drinks per drinking day, The r esults also support an association between current menstrual function, CDT levels, and drinking indices, These findings suggest that the pattern of dr inking (combining high frequency and high intensity) may be an important de terminant of CDT levels in women with alcohol dependence, compared with men .