Changes in serum carbohydrate-deficient transferrin and gammaglutamyl transferase after moderate wine consumption in healthy males.

Serum carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) concentrations and gammaglutamyl transferase (GGT) activities were measured in the fasting serum of healthy male subjects before and after 4 weeks consumption each day of 375 ml wine or 500 ml grape juice. After wine consumption, serum CDT concentrations rose in 38 of 48 individual test procedures, and the mean +/- SEM increased from 17.8 +/- 0.86 u/l to 20.9 +/- 1.14 u/l (t0 = 4.66; P < 0.001). Serum GGT activity rose in 35 of these test procedures, and the mean +/- SEM increased from 19.6 +/- 1.40 u/l to 22.3 +/- 1.79 u/l (t0 = 3.58; P < 0.001). When wine consumption was followed by 2 weeks of abstinence from alcohol, significant reductions in both CDT and GGT were noted, virtually reaching baseline levels. No significant change in either index occurred after 4 weeks of consuming grape juice. The correlation between CDT and GGT was rather low, suggesting that their responses to alcohol occur by different mechanisms. The results indicate that the response of CDT to alcohol dose is continuous, and that even moderate consumption can cause significant elevations in a healthy population.