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Desialotransferrin (S-CDT) in assessing alcohol consumption

Desialotransferrin, or CDT, is a value measured by a blood test that can identify potential continuous heavy alcohol consumption

Desialotransferrin (S-CDT)

The amount of desialotransferrin can be measured from a blood sample through laboratory tests.
The CDT value increases due to heavy and continuous alcohol use.
The CDT test can be used as a marker to assess alcohol consumption.
Regular heavy alcohol use is a health risk and can cause various damages to the body.

Table of contents

What is desialotransferrin, or CDT?

The liver produces transferrin protein, which binds and transports iron in the body. Alcohol or another factor can disrupt the formation of transferrin, leading to an increase in the amount of structurally incorrect transferrin in the blood. Incorrectly formed transferrin contains less sialic acid than normal. Incorrectly formed transferrin is called desialotransferrin, or CDT.

Causes of increased CDT value

The amount of desialotransferrin rises with heavy alcohol use. This means 50-80 g per day for at least two weeks, which corresponds to about 4-6 alcohol units per day for men and about 2-4 for women over two weeks. The high-risk limits for alcohol use per week are 23–24 units for men and 12–16 units for women. For the elderly, the high-risk limit is lower than for working-age and healthy adults, 7 units per week. Occasional alcohol use does not raise the CDT value.

The increase in CDT value can be caused by factors other than alcohol. Some liver diseases, pregnancy, or certain medications can cause falsely elevated values.

Can the CDT value return to normal?

When alcohol use is stopped, the CDT value often returns to normal levels within 2-3 weeks.

Where can I order a CDT test?

The CDT test can be ordered from Puhti’s online store without a doctor’s referral.

You can add individual tests to ready-made test packages, such as the popular Puhti laboratory package. It is good to check several health and well-being indicators at once.

Through Puhti, you can get tests without a doctor’s referral, and you can order a separate service for Mehiläinen’s doctor’s remote consultation directly from Puhti’s result report if needed.

CDT reference value and result interpretation

For everyone, regardless of age and gender, the reference value for CDT is below 2.5%. This means that the proportion of transferrin containing less sialic acid should be below 2.5% of the total amount of transferrin in the blood.

It is important to note that the CDT value does not rise in all heavy alcohol users, so a normal value does not indicate that alcohol consumption is at a healthy level.

Alcohol misuse is often investigated with the AUDIT questionnaire. As a measure of heavy alcohol consumption, laboratory tests such as gamma-glutamyltransferase (GT), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), and aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) can also be used. These laboratory tests are also part of Puhti’s selection.