Lack of difference in blood acetaldehyde of alcoholics and controls after ethanol ingestion

Ethanol and acetaldehyde (AcH) metabolism were studied in male Caucasian alcoholic subjects and matched controls following 1 g/kg ethanol, which was administered after a 10 day, ethanol-free period. The rate of ethanol elimination was higher (p greater than 0.05) in the alcoholics (0.120 g/kg/hr) than in controls (0.108 g/kg/hr). Blood AcH concentrations were measured in either the supernatants of whole blood deproteinized with perchloric acid (PCA) or from the supernatants of PCA-treated plasma obtained from blood added to isotonic semicarbazide. There was no differences between the alcoholic and control subjects for AcH in blood dripped directly into the PCA. The blood AcH concentrations decreased from 22 microM (controls) and 23 microM (alcoholics) to 7 microM (controls) and 3 microM (alcoholics) at 1 and 7 hours after the start of drinking, respectively. No significant AcH was found in blood first taken into heparinized tubes before deproteinization with PCA, after correction for artifactual AcH formation was made. As well, no significant AcH was measured by the semicarbazide method after correction for artifactual AcH. These results suggest that elevated blood AcH levels after ethanol ingestion cannot be taken as a general marker of alcoholism.