CONCENTRATIONS OF TRANSFERRIN AND CARBOHYDRATE-DEFICIENT TRANSFERRIN IN POSTMORTEM HUMAN BRAIN FROM ALCOHOLICS

Transferrin (Tf) and its carbohydrute-deficient isoform (CDT) were mea sured by, radioimmunoassay, in phosphate-buffered saline extracts of t wo informative areas of cerebral cortex tissue obtained at autopsy fro m alcoholics without other associated disease (n = 4); alcoholics with cirrhosis of the liver (n = 4) and age-matched controls (n = 4). Tota l Tf was also measured in two informative cortical areas from five dem entia cases. All cases were male. Total immunoreactive Tf was assayed directly in the extract, CDT immunoreactivity in the concentrated elua te after the sialylated form was removed by passing through DEAE-Sepha cel at pH 5.65. Brain CDT averaged 10% of total Tf overall. Although r eplicate extractions of individual samples gave consistent assays for both substances, there was wide variation both between different corti cal areas from a given case and between cases within groups. There wer e no significant differences between total Tf levels in uncomplicated alcoholics, dementia cases and controls, but cirrhotic alcoholics gave significantly higher values. The CDT: Tf ratio was not increased in t he brains of either group of alcoholics compared to controls. Whereas the serum CDT:Tf ratio is an excellent marker of recent alcohol consum ption, brain Tf and CDT concentrations do not mark alcoholism nor deme ntia, and their biological variability diminishes their usefulness as disease indices. However, brain Tf may be a marker of cirrhosis-induce d changes.