Changes in blood metabolite profile are visible years before diagnosis
of alcohol-related disease

Date:
October 19, 2020
Source:
University of Eastern Finland
Summary:
A new study has shown that the serum metabolite profile can be
used to identify individuals likely at risk of developing an
alcohol-related disease in the future. The finding also opens up
new avenues for preventing alcohol-related adverse effects.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A new study from the University of Eastern Finland is the first in the
world to show that the serum metabolite profile can be used to identify individuals likely at risk of developing an alcohol-related disease
in the future. The finding also opens up new avenues for preventing alcohol-related adverse effects. The study was published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.


========================================================================== Alcohol is the cause underlying many severe diseases, such as alcohol dependence, liver cirrhosis and different types of cancer. It is estimated
that alcohol accounts for approximately five per cent of the global
burden of disease, and the WHO has listed the reduction of excessive consumption of alcohol as one of its most important priorities.

"However, it is challenging to identify individuals most in need of an intervention, i.e., people who will go on to develop an alcohol-related disease," Senior Researcher Olli Ka"rkka"inen says.

The new study from the University of Eastern Finland discovered that
changes in the serum metabolite profile are visible years before an
individual is diagnosed with an alcohol-related disease. The researchers
used metabolomics methods to analyse serum samples collected from
middle-aged Finnish men in the 1980s as part of a prospective study
focusing on risk factors of coronary artery disease. They analysed
baseline serum samples from individuals who were diagnosed with an alcohol-related disease in the course of a 30-year a follow- up. On
average, the diagnosis was made 13.6 years after the sample was taken.

The study had two control groups: one group consisted of individuals
whose consumption of alcohol at baseline was equally heavy, but who were
not diagnosed with an alcohol-related disease later on. The other control
group consisted of individuals whose consumption of alcohol at baseline
was moderate, allowing the researchers to analyse alcohol-related changes.

There were significant differences in the groups' serum metabolite
profiles.

After controlling for self?reported alcohol use and gamma?glutamyl
transferase levels, which is a biomarker of alcohol use, the researchers
found that individuals who would later develop an alcohol-related disease
had significantly lower serum levels of serotonin and asparagine than individuals in the control groups.

"Serotonin is an important mediator that regulates the function of
the nervous system, and lower levels of asparagine may be related to
an increased risk of alcohol-induced organ damage," Senior Researcher Ka"rkka"inen says.

Heavy alcohol use in itself was associated with considerable changes
in the blood metabolite profile, e.g., in the levels of amino acids,
steroid hormones and fatty acids.

"Our study is the first to show that the serum metabolite profile
could be used to identify, already in advance, individuals who are
likely to develop an alcohol-related disease in the future. This would
have far-reaching consequences: if we can identify these individuals sufficiently early, we can target preventive measures at them. Successful prevention of alcohol-related adverse effects and diseases is highly significant both on the individual and societal levels," Senior Researcher Ka"rkka"inen says.

A limitation of the study is that it only analysed middle-aged Finnish
men who belonged to a risk group for alcohol-related diseases.

"Future research should focus on analysing whether these findings can be generalised to other population groups, including women, younger people
and people who are not Finnish," Senior Researcher Ka"rkka"inen says.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Eastern_Finland. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Olli Ka"rkka"inen, Anton Klaavus, Ari Voutilainen, Jyrki Virtanen,
Marko
Lehtonen, Seppo Auriola, Jussi Kauhanen, Jaana Rysa". Changes in
circulating metabolome precede alcohol‐related diseases in
middle‐aged men: a prospective population‐based study
with a 30‐year follow‐up. Alcoholism: Clinical and
Experimental Research, 2020; DOI: 10.1111/acer.14485 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201019103439.htm

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