Abstract

VALLINA ALVAREZ, E. et al. Hypophyso-adrenal axis in patients with chronic alcoholim . An. Med. Interna (Madrid) [online]. 2002, vol.19, n.12, pp.30-32. ISSN 0212-7199.

Objetives: To study the situation of the hypophyso-adrenal axis in patients with chronic alcoholism. Method: 24 patients with chronic alcoholism admitted in our Institution with acute delirium were studied.  Cortisol am and pm und (ACTH levels, along with hemogram with Wintrobe indexes, patelets number, triglicerides, total and HDL cholesterol, transaminases, alkaline phosphatase and gammaglutamyltranspeptidase were measured in serum. Results: The mean values of ACTH am were 41.2 pcg/ml (normal values 10-80 pcg/ml), of plasma cortisol am 22 mcg/ml (normal values 10-24 mcg/ml) and plasmo cortisol pm 12.3 mcg/ml (normal values 5-12 mcg/ml). Conclusions: The amount of alcohol consumed by alcoholic patients ist not comparable to that used in animal models, which induced adrenal hyperfunction. Blood ACTH and cortisol levels are not useful as indirect markers of alcoholism. The Wintrobe indexes and serum gammaglutamyltranspeptidase levels are more useful for that purpose. 

Keywords : Alcohol; Markers; Hypophyso-adrenal axis.

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