277 - Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin (CDT). Guidelines for analysis and interpretation

The diagnosis of alcohol abuse based on objective data is a necessary requirement in both clinical and forensic environments. Among the different biomarkers of chronic alcohol abuse, Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin(CDT) is world wide recognized as the most reliableindicator. However, several problems about the real meaning of CDT and the reliability of its use for the diagnosis of alcohol abuses are still open, as reportedby numerous research articles and reviews. The present article reports the guidelines of the Italian Groupof Forensic Toxicologists (GTFI) for analysis and interpretation of CDT in both clinical and forensic environments. Key-words: Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin, CDT, analysis, guidelines, alcohol abuse.