Antibodies against acetaldehyde‐modified epitopes: an elevated IgA response in alcoholics

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Abstract
Several recent reports have shown that antibodies reactive with acetaldehyde (AcH)‐modified epitopes are present in alcoholics. However, similar antibodies have also been found in patients with nonalcoholic liver disease and control subjects. In each of these studies total immunoglobulin binding to the AcH‐modified proteins was measured, with no attempt being made to identify the classes of immunoglobulin involved. In the present study we employed an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to assess the classes of immunoglobulin involved in this response, using plasma samples from 97 alcoholics with varying degrees of liver disease, 35 patients with non‐alcoholic liver disease and 33 control subjects. All three groups exhibited a large IgM response and a negligible IgG response. However, the alcoholics exhibited a significantly higher IgA response than either of the other groups. This suggests that the measurement of the IgA response to AcH‐modified epitopes may be a specific marker of ethanol abuse.