Absolute or Relative Measurement of Carbohydrate-deficient Transferrin in Serum? Experiences with Three Immunological Assays

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Abstract
Individuals who have consumed at least 50–80 g of alcohol per day during the previous week(s) often show an abnormal microheterogeneity of the iron-transporting glycoprotein transferrin in serum (1). After chronic exposure to alcohol, the concentrations of transferrin molecules that lack 2–4 of the four normal terminal sialic acid residues (di-, mono-, and asialo transferrin, respectively) (1) or that lack the entire biantennary carbohydrate chain(s) (2)(3) increase. The presence of increased concentrations of this “carbohydrate-deficient” transferrin (CDT) is a specific and sensitive biochemical indicator of recent excessive drinking (1)(4).

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