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de Bejczy A. Phosphatidylethanol (B-PEth) and other direct and indirect biomarkers of alcohol consumption. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 175:313-344. [PMID: 38555120 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2024.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
When identifying, preventing and treating alcohol use disorder, a correct estimation of alcohol intake is essential. An objective marker is preferred as self-reported alcohol intake suffers from bias, and the use of alcohol biomarkers is increasing globally. An easy-to-use blood biomarker to correctly assess alcohol consumption is an invaluable asset in alcohol treatment strategies, as well as in alcohol research studies. The specific, cumulative, biomarker phosphatidylethanol, mirroring the past two weeks of consumption, has shown superiority over traditional biomarkers and is an attractive choice of proxy for alcohol intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea de Bejczy
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Addiction and Dependency, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Trius-Soler M, Praticò G, Gürdeniz G, Garcia-Aloy M, Canali R, Fausta N, Brouwer-Brolsma EM, Andrés-Lacueva C, Dragsted LO. Biomarkers of moderate alcohol intake and alcoholic beverages: a systematic literature review. GENES & NUTRITION 2023; 18:7. [PMID: 37076809 PMCID: PMC10114415 DOI: 10.1186/s12263-023-00726-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
The predominant source of alcohol in the diet is alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine, spirits and liquors, sweet wine, and ciders. Self-reported alcohol intakes are likely to be influenced by measurement error, thus affecting the accuracy and precision of currently established epidemiological associations between alcohol itself, alcoholic beverage consumption, and health or disease. Therefore, a more objective assessment of alcohol intake would be very valuable, which may be established through biomarkers of food intake (BFIs). Several direct and indirect alcohol intake biomarkers have been proposed in forensic and clinical contexts to assess recent or longer-term intakes. Protocols for performing systematic reviews in this field, as well as for assessing the validity of candidate BFIs, have been developed within the Food Biomarker Alliance (FoodBAll) project. The aim of this systematic review is to list and validate biomarkers of ethanol intake per se excluding markers of abuse, but including biomarkers related to common categories of alcoholic beverages. Validation of the proposed candidate biomarker(s) for alcohol itself and for each alcoholic beverage was done according to the published guideline for biomarker reviews. In conclusion, common biomarkers of alcohol intake, e.g., as ethyl glucuronide, ethyl sulfate, fatty acid ethyl esters, and phosphatidyl ethanol, show considerable inter-individual response, especially at low to moderate intakes, and need further development and improved validation, while BFIs for beer and wine are highly promising and may help in more accurate intake assessments for these specific beverages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Trius-Soler
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, 1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
- Polyphenol Research Laboratory, Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Gastronomy, XIA School of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- INSA-UB, Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute, University of Barcelona, 08921, Santa Coloma de Gramanet, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de La Obesidad Y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Giulia Praticò
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, 1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Gözde Gürdeniz
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, 1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Mar Garcia-Aloy
- Biomarker & Nutrimetabolomics Laboratory, Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Gastronomy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Metabolomics Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele All'Adige, Italy
| | - Raffaella Canali
- Consiglio Per La Ricerca in Agricoltura E L'analisi Dell'economia Agraria (CREA) Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Rome, Italy
| | - Natella Fausta
- Consiglio Per La Ricerca in Agricoltura E L'analisi Dell'economia Agraria (CREA) Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Rome, Italy
| | - Elske M Brouwer-Brolsma
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Department Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Cristina Andrés-Lacueva
- INSA-UB, Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute, University of Barcelona, 08921, Santa Coloma de Gramanet, Spain
- Biomarker & Nutrimetabolomics Laboratory, Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Gastronomy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad Y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lars Ove Dragsted
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, 1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
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White D, Abbas Zadeh S, O'Halloran S, Salman S, Joyce DA. Hematocrit Correction of Whole Blood Phosphatidylethanol Concentrations to Estimate Erythrocyte PEth Concentrations: Sensitivity, Specificity and Influence on Test Utility. J Anal Toxicol 2023; 47:305-310. [PMID: 36286340 DOI: 10.1093/jat/bkac084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) forms in erythrocyte membranes after alcohol consumption, offering a persisting biomarker, that is measurable in whole blood, washed erythrocytes and dried blood spots. For a predominantly erythrocyte-restricted analyte, erythrocyte concentrations seem to have most validity in patients who are anemic through alcoholism or other pathologies, despite preparation increasing assay complexity. Differences in specimen preparation alter PEth concentrations for the same patient, meaning that criteria for interpreting PEth results should relate to specimen type, presenting a barrier to achieving harmonization. We therefore tested whether erythrocyte PEth might be validly calculated by hematocrit correction of a whole blood PEth measurement. PEth testing primarily serves to distinguish drinkers from non-drinkers. In choosing between specimen types, it is important to compare their utility in separating those two groups. We therefore processed 281 blood samples from 17 non-drinkers and 61 drinkers, to prepare matched whole blood and washed erythrocyte specimens. These were assayed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and compared in identifying alcohol consumption. The erythrocyte PEth concentration in the whole blood specimens was also calculated by correcting whole blood concentration by the specimen's hematocrit, as an alternative to prepare washed erythrocytes. The hematocrit-corrected erythrocyte concentrations were included in these comparisons. Predictably, this work found that sensitivity was consistently better at the lower cut-off of 8 µg/L than at 20 µg/L. Sensitivities were also higher for washed erythrocytes than whole blood, explained by the lower erythrocyte mass in the same volume of whole blood. Hematocrit-corrected whole blood PEth concentrations correlated with erythrocyte concentrations, except for the four highest values, which did not influence comparative sensitivity. Specificity was 100% for washed erythrocytes, whole blood and hematocrit-corrected whole blood at either cut-off because non-drinkers had undetectable PEth. We conclude that hematocrit correction of whole blood PEth concentrations theoretically provides an alternative to the preparation of washed erythrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel White
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Somayeh Abbas Zadeh
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Sean O'Halloran
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Sam Salman
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - David A Joyce
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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McLaughlin MF, Jain JP, Ikeda J, Walker JE, Coffin P, Santos GM. Correlates of high phosphatidylethanol (PEth) levels and their concordance with self-reported heavy alcohol consumption among men who have sex with men who binge drink alcohol. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:1565-1579. [PMID: 35722862 PMCID: PMC10079307 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heavy alcohol use, including binge drinking, is associated with high morbidity and mortality among men who have sex with men (MSM). Self-reported alcohol measures may lead to inaccurate estimates due to recall and social desirability biases. Objective alcohol biomarkers like phosphatidylethanol (PEth) can be used to corroborate self-report and could help to inform treatment approaches and research strategies for alcohol using MSM. METHODS From 2015 to 2020, alcohol using MSM ≥18 years were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of naltrexone in reducing binge drinking. Using this trial's baseline data, we applied multivariable logistic regression to identify the correlates of high PEth levels (i.e., ≥87 ng/ml) and concordance between PEth levels and self-reported heavy drinking. RESULTS Of 118 MSM, 64% had PEth levels ≥87 ng/ml and 72% had PEth levels that were concordant with self-reported heavy alcohol use. Factors significantly associated in separate models with elevated PEth levels were income ≥$60,000 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 4.09; 95% CI = 1.13 to 14.82), being employed (aOR = 4.04; 95% CI = 1.45 to 11.32), episodic cannabis use (aOR = 4.63; 95% CI = 1.27 to 16.92), and any alcohol/substance use prior to or during anal intercourse (aOR = 2.52; 95% CI = 1.08 to 5.90). Living with HIV was associated with significantly lower odds of elevated PEth levels (aOR = 0.23; 95% CI = 0.09 to 0.61). Factors associated with significantly higher concordance between PEth levels and self-reported heavy alcohol use included at least weekly use of poppers (aOR = 6.41; 95% CI = 1.27 to 32.28) and polysubstance use (aOR = 2.53; 95% CI = 1.02 to 6.27). Living with HIV was associated with lower odds of concordance (aOR = 0.36; 95% CI = 0.14 to 0.97). CONCLUSIONS PEth may enhance the detection of heavy drinking among MSM, including the identification of subpopulations that may benefit from targeted alcohol reduction interventions. However, PEth values for MSM living with HIV showed modest concordance with self-reported alcohol use and may need to be supplemented with additional biomarkers or evaluated against a different cutoff.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew F McLaughlin
- Center on Substance Use and Health, San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jennifer P Jain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Janet Ikeda
- Center on Substance Use and Health, San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - John E Walker
- Center on Substance Use and Health, San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Phillip Coffin
- Center on Substance Use and Health, San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Glenn-Milo Santos
- Center on Substance Use and Health, San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Community Health Systems, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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Aboutara N, Jungen H, Szewczyk A, Sterneck M, Müller A, Iwersen-Bergmann S. Analysis of six different homologues of phosphatidylethanol from dried blood spots using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Drug Test Anal 2020; 13:140-147. [PMID: 32783407 DOI: 10.1002/dta.2910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a direct biomarker for alcohol consumption consisting of a fraction of different ethanol-modified, homologue phospholipids. The aim of this study was to validate an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method to quantitate six different homologues of PEth (16:0/18:1, 16:0/18:2, 16:0/20:4, 18:0/18:1, 18:0/18:2, and 18:1/18:1) from dried blood spots (DBSs). DBSs were prepared volumetrically (20 μL of whole blood) and extracted with 1 mL of methanol (0.02 ng/μL internal standards). PEth homologues were separated on a BEH C18 column (2.1 × 150 mm, 1.7 μm) using methanol and ammonium acetate buffer (25 mM) in a 7 min isocratic run. Multiple reaction monitoring mode was used for the detection of PEth and the internal standards. Calibrators (10-1000 ng/mL) and quality controls (40, 400, and 700 ng/mL) were prepared from spiked whole blood; external control samples were obtained from proficiency testing schemes. After a comprehensive validation of the method, quantitative patterns of the different homologues were investigated in PEth positive samples (n = 57) from patients in a transplant setting. Satisfactory chromatographic separation, sensitive detection, and reliable quantification of the PEth homologues in DBSs can be achieved using the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) procedure. Validation results, including accuracy, linearity, recovery, matrix effects, and in-process stability, complied with international standards, and the analytical performance of the procedure was not affected by the hematocrit of the blood samples. Different quantitative patterns of the investigated PEth homologues were observed in authentic samples from liver transplant patients. This method will enable the study of the kinetics of six PEth homologues simultaneously and investigate the meaning of the homologues' distribution in individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Aboutara
- Department of Legal Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hilke Jungen
- Department of Legal Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anne Szewczyk
- Department of Legal Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Martina Sterneck
- Department of Medicine (Med Klinik I), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Müller
- Department of Legal Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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