Biomedical subjects

Stephan Seidl

Publications and source records attributed to Stephan Seidl.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Phosphatidylethanol in human organs and blood: a study on autopsy material and influences by storage conditions.

OBJECTIVE: Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is an abnormal phospholipid that is formed and accumulated in mammalian cells that have been exposed to ethanol. PEth has been proposed as a marker of ethanol abuse. This study was conducted to investigate the concentration of PEth in blood and organs obtained during the autopsy of alcoholics. In addition, we performed experiments on rat tissues and human blood to evaluate the effect of various storage conditions on PEth concentrations. METHODS: Human tissues and blood from alcoholics and controls were obtained at autopsy and frozen at -20 degrees C until extraction. Blood from healthy donors was incubated with ethanol for 24 hr and thereafter either extracted directly or stored at room temperature, stored at 4 degrees C, frozen at -20 degrees C, or frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 degrees C before extraction. Rats were given intraperitoneal injections of ethanol and then killed, either while still intoxicated or when sober. Rat organs were homogenized and extracted directly, after a period of storage, and/or after freezing at -20 degrees C. PEth concentration was analyzed using HPLC and verified by mass spectrometry. RESULTS: In all rat organs studied, PEth was formed during freezing at -20 degrees C with ethanol present. PEth concentrations of 9 to 205 mumol/liter were observed in the blood obtained at autopsy. The highest value was found in the case with the highest blood alcohol concentration (114 mmol/liter) at the time of death. In the experiments on human blood stored with ethanol present, PEth concentrations were not affected after 72 hr at 4 degrees C or after freezing in liquid nitrogen and storage at -80 degrees C for up to 144 hr but were slightly elevated after 24 hr at room temperature and at -20 degrees C. PEth was found in all organs obtained from the cadavers of alcoholics. Storage of organs at 4 degrees C for 24 hr with ethanol present had no effect on the PEth concentration. The PEth concentration was unaffected when no ethanol was present at the time of freezing. CONCLUSIONS: The rat experiments indicated that the very high PEth concentrations found in the organs of the alcoholics were probably largely formed while the organs were frozen at -20 degrees C. Our data suggest that tissue material from bodies that were exposed to ethanol must be stored properly to obtain reliable results from subsequent analysis for PEth. Tissue should not be frozen at -20 degrees C but instead stored refrigerated until extraction, preferably within hours of autopsy, or frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 degrees C. Blood samples that contain ethanol can be stored refrigerated for up to 72 hr or frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 degrees C without affecting PEth levels.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Lethal cyanide inhalation with post-mortem trans-cutaneous cyanide diffusion.

A 27-year-old worker in a metal processing factory was found dead in a basin, sitting in a solution containing potassium dicyano argentate, potassium cyanide, master batch and brightener 'Elfit 73'. The worker was wearing an acid-resisting overall, rubber boots and a simple dust respirator. While the cyanide concentration in the stomach contents was only 0.05 microg/ml, it was 7.7 microg/g in the lung tissue, 6.3 microg/ml in the heart blood and 31 microg/ml in the femoral vein blood. The different concentrations suggest an initial lethal inhalation of cyanide and an extensive post-mortem diffusion of cyanide through primarily non-injured skin of buttocks and legs. The possibility of a post-mortem cyanide diffusion bars from concluding a vital sign from a high cyanide concentration in a blood sample of one single body site.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Ethyl glucuronide: on the time course of excretion in urine during detoxification.

Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) is a promising new biological state marker of recent alcohol consumption that detects alcohol use reliably over a definite time period. Other currently available markers lack acceptable sensitivity and specificity. Our aim is to elucidate under naturalistic conditions the time course of EtG excretion in urine following alcohol consumption and to show how this can be utilized for monitoring and prognosis in patients. There are no other existing data on this issue to date. One hundred and thirty-eight urine samples from 28 male alcohol withdrawal patients were drawn every 3-24 hours for up to 94 hours after hospitalization. Breath ethanol concentration (mean) at hospitalization was 900 mg/L. Patient age in years was 40.3 (mean). Determination of urine EtG was performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with deuterium-labelled EtG as an internal standard. The strongest correlations (p<0.01) were found between EtG determinations in the different patient when breath ethanol concentrations (BEC) were 0 and 48 hours after BEC=0 (r=0.747), EtG 24 and 48 hours after BEC=0 (r=0.872), and in the time frame of detection (hours) of EtG and EtG 48 hours after BEC=0 (r=0.762). No significant correlation was found (Mann-Whitney test) between EtG concentrations in urine at different time points between the groups of patients with (a) 1 or less-2, (b) 3-4 or more previous hospitalizations, (c) a history of seizures (yes/no) or (d) an age above or below the median (40.5). EtG excretion in urine is not random, but seems rather to follow a kinetic profile. Furthermore our preliminary data indicate, that there is no significant difference for EtG concentration in urine when correlated to group variables such as age, seizures and hospitalizations.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Ethyl glucuronide-a biological marker for recent alcohol consumption.

Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) is a non-volatile, water-soluble metabolite of ethanol, with a high storage stability. It can be detected in body fluids, tissues, sweat and hair for an extended time period after the elimination of ethanol from the body. EtG closes the gap between short-term markers for alcohol consumption such as ethanol or methanol and long-term markers for alcohol misuse such as GGT, MCV and CDT. Due to its specific time-frame of detection and its high sensitivity and specificity, EtG is a promising marker for alcohol consumption and for relapse control that enables the therapist to intervene at an early stage of relapsing behaviour. The aim of this review is to give an overview of analytical techniques for the detection of EtG, its clinical use and remaining questions.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Leptin levels of alcohol abstainers and detoxification patients are not different.

AIMS: Leptin is a cytokine-type peptide hormone, recently implicated as a putative state marker of alcohol use and in craving. Our goal was to evaluate the potential of leptin as a state and trait marker and to rule out the role of current alcohol intoxication on leptin levels. METHODS: Eighteen alcohol withdrawal patients (16 males, 2 females) whose blood contained 202 mg/dl (median) of ethanol at hospitalization, who had a median age of 43.5 years and had consumed 1075 g of ethanol (median) in the last 7 days were included in the study. Leptin was determined in samples at day 1 (when still intoxicated) and day 7 of withdrawal. Expected leptin levels were calculated with a formula. For comparison, 27 blood samples of 18 abstinent persons, matched for gender, age and body mass index were used. Furthermore, mean cell volume, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and body composition (bioimpedance device) were determined. For statistical analysis, SPSS 11 was used. RESULTS: Expected leptin levels were 1.71 ng/ml (median), leptin measured at day 1 was 2.65 ng/ml (median) and 2.85 ng/ml on day 7 for the alcohol withdrawal patients and 2.2 ng/ml (median) for the abstainers. These concentrations were not significantly different. Significant correlations were found between leptin day 1 and expected leptin levels, percentage fat body mass, cigarettes smoked per day, GGT and blood alcohol concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary data do not support the hypothesis of leptin as a state or trait marker and suggest only a minor influence of acute intoxication on leptin levels in alcohol detoxification patients.

Adult↗