[Biochemical indicators in chronic alcoholism. Comparison between the enzymes glutamate dehydrogenase and gamma...

Serum concentrations of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase (GGT) have been determined in 93 chronic alcoholics regularly taking at least 150 g of alcohol daily, and in 35 healthy teetotal subjects. Both these enzymes were increased in the alcoholic group (P less than 0.001). The incidence of "false negatives" (alcoholics with normal enzymes) may be considered equal (25 and 29% respectively) while "false positives" (teetotal subjects with increased enzymes) were less frequent for glutamate-dehydrogenase (17 against 37%). In 20% of alcoholics one enzyme was normal while the other was increased; the serum increase of these two enzymes probably indicates different hepatic lesions. The search for a reliable biochemical marker of hepatocyte necrosis cannot be considered concluded; hystologic examination is still necessary to assess alcohol-related hepatic necrosis. Our study has shown that glutamate-dehydrogenase has an equal sensibility to gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase but a higher specificity as an indicator of alcohol abuse.