Diagnostic Performance of Phosphatidylethanol and Ethyl Glucuronide as Biomarkers of Alcohol Dependence
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Abstract
Aims: This study aimed to estimate the concordance between blood Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) and hair Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in detecting alcohol dependence.
Methodology: The study involved 127 alcohol-dependent men admitted to hospital for detoxification. The concentration of PEth (homologue 16:0/18:1) in blood and EtG in hair was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry
(LC–MS/MS).
Results: The main result of this study is that blood PEth and hair EtG are highly specific and sensitive markers of alcohol dependence. The correlation between PEth and hair EtG is statistically significant, reflecting shared sensitivity to cumulative alcohol exposure. However, differences in biological incorporation and detection windows limit perfect alignment.
Conclusion: Combined use of both markers may increase the accuracy of the diagnosis and avoid incorrect results caused by biological variables and by analytical errors.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Razvodovsky YE
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