USING HUMAN HAIR TO DETERMINE LONG TERM ALCOHOL ABUSE

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目的目的是开发一种诊断测试，以评估基于脂肪酸乙酯的头发分析的长期饮酒。过量饮酒会损害肝脏、胃肠道、中枢神经系统、胰腺和心脏。虽然有数以百计的成功案例有效干预问题饮酒，很少有初级保健医生定期筛查酒精问题。在这个项目中，重点是开发一种使用头发的酒精摄入生物标志物，以便初步指示长期饮酒。重复分析将在早期阶段和整个康复过程中发现复发性饮酒，从而大大降低医疗成本。 脂肪酸乙酯（FAEE）存在于血液、肝脏和死后标本中。它们是由乙醇与体内游离脂肪酸的酯化反应形成的，并通过各种机制导致乙醇诱导的器官损伤。FAEE主要在血清和血液中检测到，并且可在24小时内测量。然而，为了成为酒精使用的长期标志物，需要提供更好的药物滥用历史测量的样本。在第一阶段，头发的几个不同的FAEE的存在下，定量和配置文件的分析，提出了以确定饮酒模式。将从酗酒者和滴酒不沾者中收集头发标本，提供平均3个月的饮酒历史信息。如果分析方法可行，则产生的数据将能够根据FAEE浓度和分布区分两组。该项目的进一步阶段将包括与头发颜色和治疗有关的变量;使用的洗发水和护发产品的类型;种族，年龄和性别。该测试的商业化领域主要涉及用于确定复发的恢复中心。其他实用领域包括检测未成年驾驶员的饮酒情况;检测怀孕期间的饮酒情况;以及检测潜在移植患者的饮酒情况。总体目标是开发一种诊断测试，以评估基于脂肪酸乙酯的毛发分析的长期酒精消费。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this project is to develop a diagnostic test to assess long-term alcohol consumption based on the analysis of hair for fatty acid ethyl esters. Excessive alcohol consumption causes damage to the liver, GI tract, central nervous system, pancreas, and heart. While there are hundreds of success stories of effective intervention for problem drinking, few primary care physicians routinely screen for alcohol problems. In this program, emphasis is on the development of a biological marker for alcohol intake, using hair, so as to be initially indicative of tong term alcohol use. Repeated analyses will detect relapse drinking at an earlier stage, and throughout rehabilitation, decreasing healthcare costs dramatically. Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) are present in blood, liver, and post-mortem specimens. They are formed by the esterification of ethanol with free fatty acids in the body, and contribute to ethanol-induced organ damage, through various mechanisms. FAEE's have been predominantly detected in serum and blood, and are measurable for 24 hours. However, in order to be a long-term marker of alcohol use, a specimen giving a better historical measurement of substance abuse is necessary. During Phase I, the analysis of hair for the presence of several different FAEE, both quantitatively and in profile, is proposed in order to determine drinking patterns. Hair specimens, giving an average of 3 months historical information on alcohol use, will be collected from alcoholics and teetotalers. If the analytical approach is feasible, the data produced will be able to differentiate between the two groups based on FAEE concentration and profile. Further phases of the project will include variables associated with hair color and treatments; types of shampoo and hair products used; ethnicity, age and gender. Commercialization areas of the test primarily involve recovery centers for the determination of relapse. Other areas of utility include detection of drinking in under age drivers; detection of alcohol use in pregnancy; and detection of alcohol use in potential transplant patients. The overall goal is to develop a diagnostic test to assess long-term alcohol consumption based on hair analysis for fatty acid ethyl esters.