Isabella Mercurio1, Pamela Politi1, Eleonora Mezzetti2, Fausto Agostinelli1, Gianmarco Troiano3, Adriana Pellegrino2, Alessio Gili4, Paola Melai5, George Rettagliata6, Umberto Mercurio7, Domenico Sannicandro8, Massimo Lancia1, Mauro Bacci1. 1. Section of Legal Medicine, Forensic Science and Sports Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia 06123, Italy. 2. University of Perugia, Perugia 06123, Italy. 3. University of Siena, Siena 06123, Italy. 4. Department of Experimental Medicine, Hygiene and Public Health Section, University of Perugia, Perugia 06123, Italy. 5. Hospital of Perugia, Department of Surgical and Biomedical Sciences ,Section of Forensic Medicine, Perugia 06123, Italy. 6. New York Medical College, New York, NY 10595, USA. 7. Hospital of Potenza, Nephrology and Dialysis Division, Potenza 85100, Italy. 8. Hospital of Potenza, Potenza, Italy.
Abstract
AIM: To clarify the role of the ethanol metabolites, ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate (EtS), in monitoring alcohol consumption. METHOD: We recruited 7 female and 17 male volunteers who were instructed to consume a quantity of beer (containing 48 gm ethanol) with food in one session. We examined urinary excretion of EtG and EtS over time and looked for correlations between the concentrations of the metabolites EtG and EtS. RESULTS: EtG concentrations in urine varied between 0.026 and 430.372 μg/ml with average values between 11.85 μg/ml (SD 19.75), 30 min after alcohol intake, and 100.39 μg/ml (SD 101.34), 4.5 h after alcohol intake. EtS urinary concentration ranged from 0.006 to 101.432 μg/ml with average values between 4.77 μg/ml (SD 5.42), 30 min after alcohol intake, and 30.14 μg/ml (SD 27.20), 4.5 h after alcohol intake. Spearman's test showed that urinary EtG and EtS correlated significantly at several time points. CONCLUSION: The great interindividual variability in their excretion suggests caution in the use of urinary measurement of these metabolites in forensic investigations.
AIM: To clarify the role of the ethanol metabolites, ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate (EtS), in monitoring alcohol consumption. METHOD: We recruited 7 female and 17 male volunteers who were instructed to consume a quantity of beer (containing 48 gm ethanol) with food in one session. We examined urinary excretion of EtG and EtS over time and looked for correlations between the concentrations of the metabolites EtG and EtS. RESULTS:EtG concentrations in urine varied between 0.026 and 430.372 μg/ml with average values between 11.85 μg/ml (SD 19.75), 30 min after alcohol intake, and 100.39 μg/ml (SD 101.34), 4.5 h after alcohol intake. EtS urinary concentration ranged from 0.006 to 101.432 μg/ml with average values between 4.77 μg/ml (SD 5.42), 30 min after alcohol intake, and 30.14 μg/ml (SD 27.20), 4.5 h after alcohol intake. Spearman's test showed that urinary EtG and EtS correlated significantly at several time points. CONCLUSION: The great interindividual variability in their excretion suggests caution in the use of urinary measurement of these metabolites in forensic investigations.