[The dynamics of laboratory indices during the treatment of chronic alcoholism]

Some hematological and biochemical parameters and the body nonspecific reactivity have been examined in 57 patients with Stage II chronic alcoholism (CA) during the first, fourth, and seventh weeks of abstinence from alcohol. The serum iron level has been within the normal range, though a tendency to hyperferremia has manifested during the 4th week of abstinence. Transaminases have been elevated on week 1 and normalized by week 4, thus remaining by week 7. The red cell volume is increased in chronic alcoholics; it persists so through the course of treatment, though showing a tendency to normalization after 7 weeks of abstinence from alcohol. This sign is rather stable and persists for up to 4 weeks after alcohol is discontinued. Examination of the nonspecific reactivity has shown a reduced neutrophilic phagocytic activity and a lowered content of IgM, parallelled by a rise of the IgA content. The nonspecific resistance factors show a tendency to normalization by the 7th week of abstinence, except the IgM level. The maximum deviations from the norm are observed on week 4 of alcohol abstinence, as regards the majority of the parameters.