[Proposal for early detection of ethanol consumption in students of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos]. / Propuesta para la detección temprana del consumo de etanol en estudiantes de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos.

The present study determined through analytic techniques the quantification of some biomarkers that have been useful to detect early ethanol consumption in a college population. A group of 117 students of recent entry to the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos was analyzed. The enzyme determination of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma glutamyltransferase as metabolic markers of ethanol, as well as the carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) detected by high chromatographic liquid (up to 1.8% of CDT), allowed us to identify that 6% of the college population presented a potential risk of alcohol consumption. The use of the biochemical-analytical method overall with the psychological drug and a risk factor instrument established by the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos permit us to identify students whose substance abuse consumption puts their terminal efficiency at risk as well as their academic level. The timely detection on admission to college can monitor and support a student consumer's substance abuse.

Chronic ethanol exposure does not impair urinary acidification even under stressful conditions.

BACKGROUND: Ethanol consumption is known to cause structural and functional renal damage in rat kidney. Acutely, ethanol impairs acid-base regulation, but a chronic effect on urine acidification has not been well elucidated. The aim of the present study was to assess urinary acidification in rats subjected to chronic ethanol consumption and renal function stressors, such as unilateral nephrectomy and/or metabolic acidosis. MATERIAL/METHODS: Ethanol-fed rats received aqueous ethanol 20% (v/v) as the sole drinking fluid for ten weeks. Then unilateral nephrectomy was performed and, five days later, metabolic acidosis was induced by administration of NH(4) Cl (1.5 mmol/kg body weight) twice a day for two days. The urinary acidification rate was assessed seven days after unilateral nephrectomy by determining urine pH, ammonium and titratable acid. RESULTS: Chronic ethanol consumption, with or without unilateral nephrectomy, did not change urine pH, titratable acid, or ammonium excretion. Although NH(4)Cl-induced metabolic acidosis resulted in a significant increase of the acidification rate, the changes were not significantly different between ethanol- fed and control groups. Renal (Na + K)-ATPase was enhanced by chronic ethanol consumption, as well as by unilateral nephrectomy, but not by NH(4)Cl-induced metabolic acidosis. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic ethanol consumption does not impair the urinary acidification function of the rat, even under stressful conditions, such as acid loading and/or unilateral nephrectomy. Although these data cannot be extrapolated to human settings, there is possible application when considering drinkers as potential kidney donors.

Niacin metabolite excretion in alcoholic pellagra and AIDS patients with and without diarrhea.

OBJECTIVE: Malnourished patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) can develop pellagra-like manifestations such as dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia; therefore, we tested the hypothesis that patients with AIDS and diarrhea would have niacin depletion. This study compared 24-h urine excretion of N1-methyl-nicotinamide (N1MN) among patients with pellagra and patients with AIDS who did and did not have diarrhea. METHODS: Three groups were studied: G1 (patients with AIDS and diarrhea, n = 5); G2 (patients with AIDS and no diarrhea, n = 7), and G3 (patients with alcoholic pellagra and without the human immunodeficiency virus, n = 8). Diarrhea was defined as the production of at least three liquid stools per day over 3 to 5 d. Studies included mucosal intestinal biopsy, malabsorption tests, detection of parasites in stool, and serum albumin measurements. Semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire, anthropometry, and daily urinary N1MN excretion were also determined. Groups were matched in relation to age, sex, presence of parasites in stool, and intestinal absorption results. RESULTS: G1 had normal intestinal examination by light microscopy and no parasites in stools. G2 group showed lower levels of serum albumin (2.6 +/- 0.3 g/dL) when compared with G1 (3.4 +/- 0.3 g/dL) and G3 (3.1 +/- 0.7 g/dL). Except for patients with pellagra, groups met their energy requirements. Patients in G3 (0.013, 0.01-0.081 mg/dL) and G1 (0.062, 0.001-0.33 mg/dL) excreted smaller amounts of N1MN in urine than did those in G2 (0.63, 0.02-2.9 mg/dL). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AIDS and diarrhea excreted less N1MN in urine than did those without diarrhea. These patients may have an impaired niacin nutritional status, possibly associated with increased metabolic needs.

Vantagens e limitacoes do uso da urina como amostra biologica na dosagem alcoolica / Advantages and limitations in the use of urine as biological sample in the alcoholic dosage

Tendo em vista o grande interesse do uso da urina nos programas de controle e prevencao do uso de alcool e drogas no ambiente de trabalho e nas clinicas de reabilitacao, surge a necessidade de estudos mais detalhados sobre o fator de conversao utilizado para tranformar os valores de concentracao urinaria e sanguinea e sua validade...

Consumo reciente de alcohol y drogas en accidentes del trabajo / Recent use of alcohol and drugs in victims of work related accidents

Background: Twenty to twenty two percent of work related accidents have a direct or indirect relationship with recent alcohol use. Aim: To detect recent alcohol or drug use in patients who required hospitalization for severe work related accidents. Patients and methods: Blood and urine samples were obtained from patients admitted to a hospital within 6 hours of an accident severe enough to require hospitalization. Blood alcohol and urinary metabolites of cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines and benzodiazepines were measured. Patient identity was kept confidential throughout the study. Once patients were stabilized, they were interviewed by a psychologist that was blind to laboratory results. Results: Two hundred thirty men and 18 women were studied and 29 percent (30 percent of men and 17 percent of women) had recent use of alcohol or drugs. The most common substances were alcohol in 15 percent and benzodiazepines in 13 percent. Use of alcohol or drugs was found in 21 percent of professionals, in 33 percent of other occupational levels, half of agricultural workers and 25 percent of commerce workers. Only two of 60 positive cases, admitted substance use during the interview. Most of negative cases admitted the use of alcohol or other drugs during the month prior to the accident. Conclusions: Recent use of alcohol and drugs is frequent among severe work related accident victims. Probably, a high proportion of these subjects are problem drinkers. The combination of alcohol and benzodiazepines is an additional risk factor

Modificaciones de los niveles de acido delta aminolevulico dehidrasa en pacientes alcoholicos cronicos / Changes in the levels of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase in chronic alcoholic patients

Estudios clínicos y bioquímicos fueron realizados sobre 58 pacientes con alcoholismo crónico a su vez divididos en 3 grupos: A (hepatopatia alcohólica), B (hepatopatía y neuropatía alcohólica) y C (neuropatía alcohólica). Simultáneamente se investigaron varios parámetros relacionados con la biosíntesis del hemo. Se comprobó que el ácido delta-aminolevúlico (ALA), porfobilinógeno (PBG) urinarios y las porfirinas urinarias y fecales, no presentaron diferencias significativas entre los grupos estudiados. También se determinaron en eritrocitos las actividades de ALA-dehidrasa (ALA-D), uroporfirinógeno-I-sintetasa y uroporfirinógeno-III-sintetasa. De todos los datos obtenidos se comprobó que solamente el ALA-dehidrasa en los grupos B y C se hallaba significativamente disminuida (P < 0,002). La disminución de los niveles de ALA-D se correspondió con la severidad de la neuropatía.

Modificaciones de los niveles de acido delta aminolevulico dehidrasa en pacientes alcoholicos cronicos / Changes in the levels of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase in chronic alcoholic patients

Estudios clínicos y bioquímicos fueron realizados sobre 58 pacientes con alcoholismo crónico a su vez divididos en 3 grupos: A (hepatopatia alcohólica), B (hepatopatía y neuropatía alcohólica) y C (neuropatía alcohólica). Simultáneamente se investigaron varios parámetros relacionados con la biosíntesis del hemo. Se comprobó que el ácido delta-aminolevúlico (ALA), porfobilinógeno (PBG) urinarios y las porfirinas urinarias y fecales, no presentaron diferencias significativas entre los grupos estudiados. También se determinaron en eritrocitos las actividades de ALA-dehidrasa (ALA-D), uroporfirinógeno-I-sintetasa y uroporfirinógeno-III-sintetasa. De todos los datos obtenidos se comprobó que solamente el ALA-dehidrasa en los grupos B y C se hallaba significativamente disminuida (P < 0,002). La disminución de los niveles de ALA-D se correspondió con la severidad de la neuropatía. (AU)

Plasma amino acid patterns in alcoholic pellagra patients.

Plasma amino acid concentrations in 33 male alcoholic patients with pellagra (age 20-68 years) were compared with those in 17 healthy male subjects (age 20-45 years). Pellagra diagnosis was made on the basis of the typical clinical skin picture, and low urinary excretion of N'methylnicotinamide and N'methyl-2-pyridone-5-carboxamide (reduced by 70 and 80%, respectively, compared with controls). There were significant differences in body mass index, creatinine/high index and serum albumin between the two groups, indicating that besides pellagra the alcoholic patients had some degree of malnutrition. Of 17 plasma amino acids measured, the following had significantly lower concentrations in the pellagrins: tryptophan (3.65 vs 5.93 mumol/dl, pellagrin vs control), isoleucine (6.31 vs 11.13), leucine (11.54 vs 24.19), lysine (16.25 vs 34.47), methionine (2.61 vs 4.22), phenylalanine (5.71 vs 9.23), threonine (13.29 vs 26.81), valine (17.60 vs 41.06), alanine (42.54 vs 70.87), arginine (5.87 vs 10.09), tyrosine (5.57 vs 9.30). Glutamic acid was significantly higher in the pellagrins (18.45 vs 9.49). There was no difference between the groups of aspartic acid, glycine, histidine, proline and serine concentrations. It is concluded that pellagra is an important factor influencing the amino acid profiles in these patients. This finding should be taken into account when using plasma amino acid levels to assess the clinical status of the pellagrin.