Carbohydrate deficient transferrin levels in hazardous alcohol consumption.

Little information is available on the value of carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT) in detecting persons with hazardous alcohol consumption. In the present study isoelectric focusing (IEF) and immunofixation were used to examine the sensitivity of CDT in hazardous drinkers compared with control subjects and alcohol dependent persons. Elevated CDT levels (> 100 mg/l) were found in 62% of hazardous drinkers and 67% of alcohol dependent persons compared with only 5% of controls. CDT was more sensitive than serum gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity in detecting hazardous alcohol consumption (sensitivity of GGT 19%; P < 0.001), but was of comparable sensitivity to GGT for alcohol dependence. Neither the transferrin index nor transferrin ratio offered any advantage over CDT in detecting hazardous consumption. We conclude that serum CDT, as measured by IEF and immunofixation, is a sensitive and specific test for hazardous drinking.