Description
Ethanol (EtOH) has multiple effects on humans and other animals. Alcohol addiction and organ damage are active areas of research with a need for research reagents and tools.1 Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a direct metabolite of EtOH and has been described as a long-lived biomarker for alcohol ingestion.2, 3 It is possible that PEth is involved in the neurological4, protective5, and harmful6 effects of alcohol, but the mechanisms are still being explored. Autologous anti-PEth antibodies are found in lower abundance in serum from heavier drinkers. This inverse relationship between anti-PEth IgG levels and alcohol ingestion was first reported, by Nissinen et. al.7 Evaluation of serum samples of varying consumption habits has demonstrated a high degree of correlation with ingested alcohol. Measuring these autologous anti-PEth IgG levels may serve as an effective biomarker in monitoring alcohol use