Serum sialic acid and γ-glutamyltransferase levels in alcohol-dependent individuals

Alcohol abuse is a very common problem all over the world. Identification of alcoholism is crucial in preventing some adverse health effects, economical and social consequences of excessive alcohol consumption. The aim of this study was to determine sialic acid (SA) and γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels in serum samples of alcoholics and to compare the diagnostic accuracy of SA with the conventional marker, GGT. The results have shown that serum SA (p < 0.01) and GGT levels (p < 0.001) were significantly increased in alcohol-dependent individuals as compared with healthy controls. No significant relationship was observed between SA and GGT levels in alcohol-dependent subjects and control group. Interestingly, a positive correlation was found between amount of alcohol consumption and serum SA level (r=0.381, p < 0.05). In order to evaluate the ability of SA and GGT determinations to discriminate between alcohol-dependent subjects and healthy controls, an analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed. Data suggest that GGT and SA levels in serum may be used as valuable biological markers for detecting and monitoring alcohol abuse. In view of the findings, introducing serum SA determination can be recommended as a part of diagnostic tests for identifying alcohol abuse.