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Clinical Chemistry 48: 2095-2096, 2002;
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(Clinical Chemistry. 2002;48:2095-2096.)
© 2002 American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Inc.

Editorial

Transferrin Isoform Analysis for the Diagnosis and Management of Hazardous or Dependent Drinking

John B. Whitfield

Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia, and, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia

aAddress for correspondence: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown NSW 2050, Australia. Fax 61-2-9515-7931; e-mail John.Whitfield@email.cs.nsw.gov.au.

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

The article by Legros et al. (1) in this issue is the latest of several descriptions and evaluations of serum transferrin isoform separation by capillary electrophoresis (CE). It is of particular interest because their method is able to separate all of the major isoforms and because the sensitivity and specificity of asialo- and disialo-transferrin for assessment of alcohol use are compared against those of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) by a commercially available anion-exchange–immunoassay method.

The diagnosis of alcohol dependence or the detection of relapse to harmful drinking in those known to be alcohol dependent poses a challenge. Patients may underestimate or conceal their drinking (2), and doctors may overlook the condition (3). As a result, laboratory tests for excessive alcohol intake have been developed, tested, and applied. These have been based on measurements of liver enzymes (particularly serum {gamma}-glutamyl transferase); on comparatively short-term metabolic consequences of alcohol intake (blood or breath ethanol, serum or urine ethyl glucuronide, and urine 5-hydroxytryptophol/5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid ratio); or on changes in the carbohydrate composition of serum glycoproteins (particularly transferrin).

The measurement of transferrin isoforms, the carbohydrate sidechains of which have less than the usual complement of terminal sialic acid residues, has been investigated for >20 years (4), but widespread application has been held up by labor-intensive or expensive methods and concerns about the sensitivity and specificity to be expected in clinical use. There have also been understandable concerns about the effectiveness of any laboratory test in improving outcomes in a condition that primarily affects behavior and where persistence in that behavior, despite knowledge . . . [Full Text of this Article]




The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:


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 Clin. Chem.Home page
H. A. Carchon, R. Chevigne, J.-B. Falmagne, and J. Jaeken
Diagnosis of Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation by Capillary Zone Electrophoresis of Serum Transferrin
Clin. Chem., January 1, 2004; 50(1): 101 - 111.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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 Alcohol AlcoholHome page
P. Anttila, K. Jarvi, J. Latvala, J. E. Blake, and O. Niemela
DIAGNOSTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF DIFFERENT CARBOHYDRATE-DEFICIENT TRANSFERRIN METHODS IN THE DETECTION OF PROBLEM DRINKING: EFFECTS OF LIVER DISEASE AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
Alcohol Alcohol., September 1, 2003; 38(5): 415 - 420.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Clin. Chem.Home page
T. Arndt
Asialotransferrin--An Alternative to Carbohydrate-deficient Transferrin?
Clin. Chem., June 1, 2003; 49(6): 1022 - 1023.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Clin. Chem.Home page
F. J. Legros, V. Nuyens, M. Baudoux, K. Zouaoui Boudjeltia, J.-L. Ruelle, J. Colicis, F. Cantraine, and J.-P. Henry
Use of Capillary Zone Electrophoresis for Differentiating Excessive from Moderate Alcohol Consumption
Clin. Chem., March 1, 2003; 49(3): 440 - 449.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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