Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin in Abstaining Patients With End‐Stage Liver Disease

Abstract

These results suggest that an elevated CDT value may not accurately represent alcohol consumption in patients with advanced liver disease. In fact, in such patients, the CDT may become a marker for the degree of liver impairment in alcoholic and nonalcoholic liver disease. CDT values should be viewed with caution in any patient with liver disease especially when the degree of cirrhosis reaches a Child-Pugh score of C (total score of 10 or above).

Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin and Interleukin-6 as Predictors of Fibrosis in Alcohol Cirrhosis

“…In the present study CDT was significantly increased in alcoholic cirrhosis group compared to controls. These findings were supported by previous reports which demonstrated high CDT levels in cirrhosis patients [4]. Earlier studies have related increased CDT levels to metabolic abnormalities of glycoproteins caused by alcohol induced liver damage [10].…”

“…Some studies have reported that it indicates alcohol abuse where as other studies have demonstrated that it reflects liver damage in cirrhosis patients [4,9]. In the present study CDT was significantly increased in alcoholic cirrhosis group compared to controls.…”

“…Age matched nonalcoholic men were included as controls (n = 38). The sample size was estimated to detect a difference of 7 U/l in carbohydrate deficient transferrin levels between the groups at 5 % levels of significance and 90 % power using the statistical formula for testing the difference in mean [4].…”

“…Previous studies have reported elevated CDT level in alcoholic and non alcoholic liver disease and hypothesized that CDT can be used a marker of liver impairment in these subjects [3,4]. Also it has been suggested that CDT may not accurately represent alcohol consumption in advanced liver disease [4].…”

Carbohydrate deficient transferrin and alcoholism

“…For example, elevated CDT values may not accurately correlate with alcohol consumption in advanced liver disease while patients with hepatitis C have been shown to have a higher chance of having a clinically positive CDT compared with patients with other types of liver diseases. 23 Perhaps we are reaching a stage where the CDT value as a percentage may even be a predictor of who would make a good candidate for liver transplant? A value greater than 6.5 for example.…”