# PEth Cut‐Off Thresholds for Hazardous Alcohol Consumption Based on a Drinking Study

## TL;DR

This study finds that PEth biomarkers can detect hazardous alcohol consumption at low to moderate levels, better than other markers.

## Contribution

The study establishes PEth cut-off thresholds for identifying hazardous alcohol consumption through a controlled drinking experiment.

## Key findings

- PEth levels increased significantly after one week of alcohol consumption in participants.
- PEth 16:0/18:1 has high specificity but low sensitivity for detecting regular alcohol intake.
- Other biomarkers like CDT, AST, ALT, and GGT showed little change during the study.

## Abstract

This study aimed to explore how PEth and other commonly used alcohol biomarkers (CDT, AST, ALT, and GGT) respond to regular consumption of what has been generally considered to correspond to low to moderate amounts of alcohol over a 2‐week period. A total of 21 voluntary participants (aged 31–69 years) took part in a 2‐week drinking study. Group 1 (n = 11) consumed one glass of wine daily (16 g of alcohol), close to the present Swedish limit for hazardous alcohol consumption, while Group 2 (n = 10) consumed two glasses daily (32 g of alcohol). Alcohol biomarkers were measured at baseline and at three further occasions during the study. After 1 week of alcohol consumption, all participants had measurable concentrations (> 0.005 μmol/L, ≈3.5 ng/mL) of both PEth‐homologues (PEth 16:0/18:1 and PEth 16:0/18:2). After 1‐ and 2‐week periods, significant differences in PEth levels were observed between Group 1 and Group 2. The correlation between the two PEth‐homologues was strong and increased as the study progressed. In contrast, other biomarkers showed little to no change during the study period. Both PEth‐homologues appear capable of identifying hazardous alcohol consumption. The current Swedish reporting threshold for PEth 16:0/18:1 (0.05 μmol/L, ≈35 ng/mL) demonstrates high specificity but low sensitivity in identifying hazardous alcohol consumption involving regular/daily intake. The sensitivity of the other biomarkers is insufficient for detecting alcohol consumption at this level.

PEth 16:0/18:1 and 16:0/18:2 concentrations in voluntary participants taking part in a 2‐week drinking study with intake of one or two glasses of wine (16 or 32 g of ethanol) per day.