Journal of Alcoholism & Drug Dependence
Open Access

Abstract

The Markers for Alcohol Abuse: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Barbaro M and Locatelli M

In the past decades’ different biomarkers for alcohol abuse has been proposed, but, despite this, the research for newly ones is still actual. To overcome the lack of the “perfect” biomarker, at this time, different strategies has been proposed, but none of them has demonstrated the required sensibility and specificity for general population screening. As to date, the determination of carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT) alone is the standard serum analysis for forensic examination, despite its chance to be interfered by genetic variants (<3%) and by particular physio-pathological condition. It should be considered the evaluation of ethyl glucuronide on hair coupled with CDT on serum for forensic examination to be able to overcome the intrinsic limits of the laboratory tests and, the combination of the two together with an accurate anamnestic analysis, will give the ability to prevent misinterpretation due to the genetic and metabolic variability providing an accurate patients evaluation.