A search for novel markers of alcohol abuse using magnetic beads and MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry.

Objective markers are required to assess excessive alcohol consumption, which can lead to a various medical and social problems. In this study, we carried out serum peptidome analyses using the ClinProt(™) system, which consists of magnetic beads and MALDI-TOF/TOF MS, to find novel biomarkers of alcohol abuse in 16 chronic alcoholic patients that were hospitalized for a rehabilitation program. A total of 22 peaks were found to be significantly altered during abstinence. Out of these 22 peaks, 3 peaks that had an m/z of 3000 or less and substantial peak intensities were subjected to MS/MS analysis followed by a MASCOT search. The 1466 Da and the 1616 Da peptides were upregulated on admission and were identified as fragments of fibrinopeptide A and phosphorylated fibrinopeptide A, respectively. On the other hand, the 2660 Da peptide, which was downregulated on admission and increased during abstinence, was identified as a fragment of the fibrinogen α C chain. These peaks were not detectable by the SELDI-TOF MS ProteinChip(®) system analysis. The alterations in these peaks induced by alcohol abuse were also seen in γ glutamyltransferase nonresponders. These protein fragments may be additional biomarkers for excessive alcohol drinking.