ETUDE COMPARATIVE DE LA PERFORMANCE DIAGNOSTIQUE DES MARQUEURS INDIRECTS D’ALCOOLISATION CHRONIQUE : CDT, GGT ET VGM

Abstract

ntroduction: gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) andmean corpuscular volume (MCV) are the traditionalmarkers of chronic alcoholism. For over 30 years,carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) has been oneof the biological diagnostic tools used in themanagement of alcohol-dependent patients. The aimof this study was to set up a capillary electrophoresisassay for CDT in the Biochemistry Laboratory of theFann Hospital and University Centre, in order to providepractitioners with much more effective diagnostic toolsfor identifying and monitoring alcohol dependence.Materials and methods: The methodology consistedof recruiting patients diagnosed as alcohol-dependentat the Centre de Prise en Charge Intégrée desAddictions de Dakar (CEPIAD) and determining GMV,GGT activity and CDT content. The CDT content wasobtained by capillary electrophoresis and the resultsexpressed as a percentage of total transferrin. Toensure the absence of liver damage, transaminaseactivity was assessed.Results: The results showed that CDT was much moresensitive because it was disturbed in more than halfthe patients, compared with 40% for GGT and 10%for VGM. CDT was elevated in 100% of patientsconsuming more than 1 litre of alcohol. It also appearedthat in the presence of alcoholic hepatitis as evidencedby an ASAT/ALAT ratio > 1, GGT appeared to be moresensitive. The combination of GGT and CDT was moresensitive than either GGT-VGM or CDT-VGM.Conclusion: CDT was a highly relevant parameter inthe diagnosis and monitoring of alcohol-dependentpatients. It is more relevant to combine CDT and GGTthan GGT and VGM, which are traditionally measuredroutinely.Key words: CDT, alcohol dependence, biologicaldiagnosisCorrespondance : Fatoumata Bah,Laboratoire de Toxicologie et Hydrologie de la FMPO de l’UCAD, Dakar.Tel : +221 33 824 65 39.Email : fabah2001@yahoo.fr10