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Formation of phosphatidylethanol in vitro in red blood cells from healthy volunteers and chronic alcoholics.

Varga, Arthur and Alling, Christer LU (2002) In Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 140(2). p.79-83
Abstract
Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is an abnormal phospholipid, formed only in the presence of ethanol via a transphosphatidylation reaction of phospholipase D (PLD). PEth in blood is a promising new marker of alcohol abuse. Blood PEth is found almost exclusively in red cells. This study was performed to investigate a possible PEth formation in human red cells from alcoholics and healthy individuals, at physiologically relevant ethanol concentrations. Blood was drawn from six healthy volunteers (controls) and six chronic inpatient alcoholics. Hematological analyses were performed, and red blood cells were separated and incubated in plasma with ethanol to study PEth formation. Lipids were extracted and PEth analyzed with high pressure liquid... (More)
Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is an abnormal phospholipid, formed only in the presence of ethanol via a transphosphatidylation reaction of phospholipase D (PLD). PEth in blood is a promising new marker of alcohol abuse. Blood PEth is found almost exclusively in red cells. This study was performed to investigate a possible PEth formation in human red cells from alcoholics and healthy individuals, at physiologically relevant ethanol concentrations. Blood was drawn from six healthy volunteers (controls) and six chronic inpatient alcoholics. Hematological analyses were performed, and red blood cells were separated and incubated in plasma with ethanol to study PEth formation. Lipids were extracted and PEth analyzed with high pressure liquid chromatography and evaporative light-scattering detection. Incubation of red cells in 50 mM ethanol yielded detectable PEth after 12 hours. Formation of PEth was concentration dependent at 10 to 50 mM ethanol. In vitro formation of PEth was significantly higher (P <.001) in red cells from alcoholics (5.2 +/- 1.1 micromol/l) compared to controls (2.4 +/- 0.6 micromol/l) (mean +/- SD). A significant correlation (P <.01) was observed between initial mean corpuscular volume and accumulated PEth. This study demonstrates that PEth is formed in human red cells at physiologically relevant ethanol concentrations. Alcoholics accumulate about twice as much PEth than controls. The accumulation rate of PEth is slower in red cells compared to rates reported for other tissues. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine
volume
140
issue
2
pages
79 - 83
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:12228763
  • wos:000178086700003
  • scopus:0036670351
ISSN
0022-2143
DOI
10.1067/mlc.2002.125292
language
English
LU publication?
yes
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The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Medical Neurochemistry (ceased) (LUR000012), Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology (013250300)
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d2f75100-5031-45a6-879a-d64688f75bd7 (old id 110293)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12228763&dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:22:38
date last changed
2022-01-28 04:59:47
@article{d2f75100-5031-45a6-879a-d64688f75bd7,
  abstract     = {{Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is an abnormal phospholipid, formed only in the presence of ethanol via a transphosphatidylation reaction of phospholipase D (PLD). PEth in blood is a promising new marker of alcohol abuse. Blood PEth is found almost exclusively in red cells. This study was performed to investigate a possible PEth formation in human red cells from alcoholics and healthy individuals, at physiologically relevant ethanol concentrations. Blood was drawn from six healthy volunteers (controls) and six chronic inpatient alcoholics. Hematological analyses were performed, and red blood cells were separated and incubated in plasma with ethanol to study PEth formation. Lipids were extracted and PEth analyzed with high pressure liquid chromatography and evaporative light-scattering detection. Incubation of red cells in 50 mM ethanol yielded detectable PEth after 12 hours. Formation of PEth was concentration dependent at 10 to 50 mM ethanol. In vitro formation of PEth was significantly higher (P &lt;.001) in red cells from alcoholics (5.2 +/- 1.1 micromol/l) compared to controls (2.4 +/- 0.6 micromol/l) (mean +/- SD). A significant correlation (P &lt;.01) was observed between initial mean corpuscular volume and accumulated PEth. This study demonstrates that PEth is formed in human red cells at physiologically relevant ethanol concentrations. Alcoholics accumulate about twice as much PEth than controls. The accumulation rate of PEth is slower in red cells compared to rates reported for other tissues.}},
  author       = {{Varga, Arthur and Alling, Christer}},
  issn         = {{0022-2143}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{79--83}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine}},
  title        = {{Formation of phosphatidylethanol in vitro in red blood cells from healthy volunteers and chronic alcoholics.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1067/mlc.2002.125292}},
  doi          = {{10.1067/mlc.2002.125292}},
  volume       = {{140}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}