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Measurement of direct ethanol metabolites in a case of a former driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol offender, now claiming abstinence

Wurst, Friedrich M. ; Yegles, Michel ; Alling, Christer LU ; Aradottir, Steina LU ; Dierkes, Jutta ; Wiesbeck, Gerhard A. ; Halter, Claudia C. ; Pragst, Fritz and Auwaerter, Volker (2008) In International Journal of Legal Medicine 122(3). p.235-239
Abstract
A 37-year-old female subject had been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, and 19 months later, claimed abstinence after supervised disulfiram treatment. Our aim was to elucidate the value of direct ethanol metabolites as measures of abstinence. Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) in hair, phosphatidylethanol in whole blood and EtG and ethyl sulphate in urine were measured. The results were compared with self-report of alcohol consumption and traditional blood biomarkers for chronically elevated alcohol consumption as carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, mean corpuscular erythrocyte volume, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. EtG was found in... (More)
A 37-year-old female subject had been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, and 19 months later, claimed abstinence after supervised disulfiram treatment. Our aim was to elucidate the value of direct ethanol metabolites as measures of abstinence. Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) in hair, phosphatidylethanol in whole blood and EtG and ethyl sulphate in urine were measured. The results were compared with self-report of alcohol consumption and traditional blood biomarkers for chronically elevated alcohol consumption as carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, mean corpuscular erythrocyte volume, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. EtG was found in distal parts of hair only, whereas the proximal parts were negative. Furthermore, FAEE concentrations were found in the typical distribution over the hair length and showed values typical for either moderate social drinking or abstinence. CDT was above cut-off in 9 out of 16 analyses with a decreasing tendency and the lowest values in the last 2 months before the end of sampling. The data suggest that in addition to traditional markers, a combination of direct ethanol metabolites can be useful in the expert assessment of judging driving ability. A careful individual interpretation of the results for the different markers, however, is an absolute necessity. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
metabolites, hair analysis, direct ethanol, alcoholism, driving under the influence of alcohol
in
International Journal of Legal Medicine
volume
122
issue
3
pages
235 - 239
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000254903900009
  • scopus:42149100497
  • pmid:18253745
ISSN
0937-9827
DOI
10.1007/s00414-007-0218-y
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5b6a64cc-bda2-49b4-9049-c89d5274add1 (old id 1207227)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:23:50
date last changed
2022-01-27 18:57:38
@article{5b6a64cc-bda2-49b4-9049-c89d5274add1,
  abstract     = {{A 37-year-old female subject had been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, and 19 months later, claimed abstinence after supervised disulfiram treatment. Our aim was to elucidate the value of direct ethanol metabolites as measures of abstinence. Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) in hair, phosphatidylethanol in whole blood and EtG and ethyl sulphate in urine were measured. The results were compared with self-report of alcohol consumption and traditional blood biomarkers for chronically elevated alcohol consumption as carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, mean corpuscular erythrocyte volume, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. EtG was found in distal parts of hair only, whereas the proximal parts were negative. Furthermore, FAEE concentrations were found in the typical distribution over the hair length and showed values typical for either moderate social drinking or abstinence. CDT was above cut-off in 9 out of 16 analyses with a decreasing tendency and the lowest values in the last 2 months before the end of sampling. The data suggest that in addition to traditional markers, a combination of direct ethanol metabolites can be useful in the expert assessment of judging driving ability. A careful individual interpretation of the results for the different markers, however, is an absolute necessity.}},
  author       = {{Wurst, Friedrich M. and Yegles, Michel and Alling, Christer and Aradottir, Steina and Dierkes, Jutta and Wiesbeck, Gerhard A. and Halter, Claudia C. and Pragst, Fritz and Auwaerter, Volker}},
  issn         = {{0937-9827}},
  keywords     = {{metabolites; hair analysis; direct ethanol; alcoholism; driving under the influence of alcohol}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{235--239}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Legal Medicine}},
  title        = {{Measurement of direct ethanol metabolites in a case of a former driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol offender, now claiming abstinence}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00414-007-0218-y}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00414-007-0218-y}},
  volume       = {{122}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}