The carbohydrate-deficient transferrin as a marker of chronic alcohol consumption and assessment of its usefulness in patients with cardiovascular diseases – a pilot study

Introduction Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in the world. The dose of 60 g of alcohol / day has been estimated to significantly increase the risk of developing high blood pressure, arrhythmias, hemorrhagic stroke, and cardiomyopathy. The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of CDT when compared with gammaglutamyltransferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), N-terminal fragment brain natriuretic peptide (NT pro-BNP) and troponin T biomarkers in patients with heart failure. Materials and Methods The study was conducted on 59 patients with advanced heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (EF<40%). CDT serum levels were measured using CDT kit, Chromsystems Instruments & Chemicals GmbH, Germany and were expressed as a percentage of total transferrin using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results Nineteen patients (n = 19) expressed a normal level of carbohydrate deficiency transferrin <1.2% of the total transferrin found in plasma. The results are obtained from 34 patients (n = 34) were within the range doubtful for the test (1.2–2.5%). In 6 Patients (n = 6) the results of more than 2.5% of CDT content were observed, which could indicate chronic alcohol consumption. Conclusions No statistically significant correlations between CDT and troponin T or NT pro-BNP were identified.