Phosphatidylethanol in Blood as a Marker of Alcohol Dependence

Aim: To establish the cut-off value of phosphatidylethanol (PEth) concentration in the blood for detecting alcohol dependence. Materials and Methods: Using the method of high-performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC - MS), the concentration of PEth in the blood of 127 alcohol-dependent men undergoing hospital treatment was determined. To assess the diagnostic accuracy and to establish the cut-off values of PEth concentration, a ROC (receiver operating characteristic) analysis was performed. Statistical data processing was carried out using the Statistica 10.0 program. Results: At a cut-off PEth concentration of 495 ng/ ml, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were 99 %, 96 %, 98 %, 98 % respectively. Conclusion: The results of the study indicate the high diagnostic reliability of PEth as a biochemical marker of alcohol dependence.