Alcohol intoxication and sialic acid in erythrocyte membrane and in serum transferrin

Microheterogeneity of serum transferrin as well as erythrocyte membrane sialic acid content were examined in alcoholic patients and healthy controls. Both the sialic acid content of erythrocyte membranes and of the circulating transferrin were significantly lower in alcoholic patients than in controls. A moderate daily ethanol intake (less than 80 g) allowed to observe a proportional relationship between alcohol intake and the carbohydrate deficient forms of transferrin, and also a correlation between alcohol intake and the membrane sialic acid content. This supports the hypothesis of ubiquitary alterations of glycosylations in connection to ethanol intoxication. Additional disturbances could explain the absence of correlations between membrane sialic acid, pattern of abnormal forms of serum transferrin, and alcohol intake in heavy alcoholic patients.