Phosphatidylethanol: Normalisation during detoxification, gender aspects and correlation with other biomarkers and self-reports

Abstract

Aims: Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a direct ethanol metabolite, attracting attention as biomarker of ethanol intake. Aims of the presented studies are: 1) To further characterise the normalisation of PEth in lager samples and 2) to elucidate potential gender differences and 3) the correlation with other biomarkers and self-reports. Patients and methods: Fifty-seven alcohol dependent patients (ICD 10 F 10.25; f=9, m=48) at three study sites age 43.56 years, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) 209.61 U/L, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 97.35 fL, carbohydrate deficient transferrin (%CDT) 8.68, 1452.29g ethanol intake in the last 7 days (mean) were included. PEth was measured in heparinized whole blood with a high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) method, GGT, MCV and %CDT using routine methods. Results: PEth levels of between 0.63 and 26.95µmol/L (6.22 mean, 4.70 median, SD 4.97) at day 1 of detoxification were found. There were no false negatives at day 1. Sensitivities for the other biomarkers were 40.4% for MCV, 73.1% for GGT and 69.2% for %CDT, respectively. The correlation between alcohol intake in the last seven days prior to hospitalisation and PEth was r=.427, p<0.05. No gender differences were found for PEth levels at any time point. Conclusion: Our data suggest, that PEth is 1) a suitable intermediate term marker of ethanol intake in both sexes, 2) sensitivity is extraordinary high in alcohol dependent patients. The results add further evidence to the data that suggest that PEth has potential as a candidate for a sensitive and specific biomarker, which reflects longer lasting intake of higher amounts of alcohol and seemingly has certain advantages over traditional biomarkers.