Dose response of laboratory markers to alcohol consumption in a general population

The dose response to alcohol use of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT ), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), and their combination (gamma-CDT) was s tudied in an age- and gender-stratified, random sample from Finland in 1997 . A linear association with a threshold between alcohol consumption and the three markers was observed. Body mass index was negatively associated with CDT and positively with GGT. Age was positively associated with GGT and ga mma-CDT. In conclusion, CDT appears to be an early phase marker of alcohol consumption. The combined marker, gamma-CDT was less associated with factor s such as body mass index but more strongly correlated with alcohol consump tion than were the two markers separately.