This assay has not been fully validated for the investigation of alcoholism.
Carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT) testing alone is not recommended for general screening for alcoholism. Analysis of more than 1 biomarker is recommended to avoid misinterpretation of results.
The abnormal transferrin isoform pattern in patients with chronic alcoholism is similar to that observed in congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDGs). However, unlike most patients with CDG, the relative amount of monoglycosylated transferrin is much lower. Other conditions such as hereditary fructose intolerance, galactosemia, and liver disease may result in increased levels of CDT. In addition, preanalytic variables such as bacterial contamination may cause falsely elevated CDT values. Several factors may cause variability in CDT analysis, including: ethnicity, gender, pregnancy, body mass index, smoking, blood pressure, iron metabolism, drug interactions, chronic medical illness.