Superiority of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin to gamma- glutamyltransferase in detecting relapse in alcoholism
- 1 January 1997
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Psychiatric Association Publishing in American Journal of Psychiatry
- Vol. 154 (1) , 75-80
- https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.154.1.75
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The usefulness of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin is widely accepted in screening (male) population samples for heavy alcohol consumption, but its role in relapse detection is not convincingly established. The authors therefore compared the diagnostic value of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin with the commonly used gamma-glutamyltransferase in identifying relapsed alcoholics during outpatient aftercare. METHOD: The patients were 101 male alcoholics who entered a 6-month rehabilitation program after hospital detoxification. Drinking status was assessed by means of self- and collateral reports obtained during regular contacts with the rehabilitation team; relapse was defined as consumption of any alcohol. Visits occurred weekly during month 1, biweekly during month 2, and every 4 weeks during months 3-6. At every visit a blood sample was taken for measurement of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin and gamma-glutamyltransferase. RESULTS: The proportion of men who reported relapse was 25.6% per...Keywords
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