[Biological markers in the accurate diagnosis of chronic alcohol intoxication--the significance of immunoglobulin A].

This paper is part of a study aiming to identifying some objective clinical and laboratory markers for the late diagnosis of chronic ethylism, often after the somatic affections and mental disturbances have occurred, fact requiring further investigations for the early and doubtless determination of alcohol even after variable withdrawal periods. The significance of IgA as a marker is similar to that of gamma GT, demonstrating that in time and at doses in excess alcohol can lead to increased serum IgA concentrations, proved by the IgA deposits in the liver detected immunohistologically, values that could be diagnostic. It seems the IgA as a marker is not superior to gamma GT, its diagnostic relevance being partially restricted by it also being influenced directly by the severity of the histopathologic changes.