Use of chromatofocusing to detect a transferrin variant in serum of alcoholic subjects.

ABSTRACT

We describe a technique for detecting an abnormal (pl 5.7) transferrin component in serum, which appears after prolonged heavy consumption of alcohol. Serum transferrin was purified by chromatography on DEAE-Affi-Gel Blue and analyzed by chromatofocusing on an ion-exchange column (Mono P). The abnormal transferrin component was detected in 17 of 20 patients (85%) with a history or prolonged consumption of alcohol (100 g per day), and in control subjects who ingested up to 80 g of alcohol per day for seven days, but not in 14 normal control subjects or 14 patients with liver disease unrelated to alcohol. The variant consistently disappeared from the serum within three weeks of cessation of alcohol consumption. It is apparently produced by desialylation of ordinary human transferrin. We find that chromatofocusing on an ion-exchange column is a sensitive and reliable technique for its identification and conclude that detection of this desialylated transferrin indicates recent prolonged alcohol ingestion.