Ethanol Patch Test: A Simple Method for Identifying the Effectiveness of Cyanamide in Alcoholics

• Published in: Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research Vol. 24; no. 4; pp. 39S - 42S
• Main Authors: Yamauchi, Masayoshi, Kimura, Taketo, Takeda, Kunihiko, Sakamoto, Kazuhiko, Ohata, Mitsuru, Tabe, Tetsuko, Nakano, Kazuko, Fujiwara, Seiji, Takao, Yukihiro, Toda, Gotaro
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Baltimore, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01.04.2000
• Subjects: Acetaldehyde; Adult; Aged; Alcoholism - drug therapy; Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; Aldehyde Dehydrogenase - antagonists & inhibitors; Aldehyde Dehydrogenase - genetics; Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Inhibitor; Biological and medical sciences; Cyanamide; Cyanamide - administration & dosage; Cyanamide - therapeutic use; Enzyme Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Ethanol; Ethanol Patch Test; Female; Genotype; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Patch Tests; Toxicology; Antialcohol drug; Toxicity; Cyanamide; Diimide; Dose activity relation; Gene; Plant growth substance; Human; Ethanol; Enzyme; Alcoholism; Detoxification; Enzyme inhibitor; Genotype; ); Long term; Abstinence; Biological activity; Allele; Chemotherapy; Phenotype; Treatment; Aldehyde dehydrogenase (NAD; Oxidoreductases; Polymorphism
• ISSN: 0145-6008; 1530-0277
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2000.tb00010.x

Background: To identify the pharmacological effectiveness of cyanamide, 144 alcoholics treated with cyanamide were subjected to a test that used an acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) inhibitor, the ethanol patch test, which is considered to be a good indicator of ALDH2 phenotype. Methods: We placed 100 μl of 70% ethanol on a lint pad and, as a control, placed the same volume of distilled water on a second pad. The ethanol patch test was performed on 144 alcoholics more than 2 weeks after abstinence from alcohol before and after treatment with cyanamide for 1 week. The dose of cyanamide was increased up to 150 mg until the patch test yielded a positive result. Results: In the ethanol patch test, 36 alcoholics (25.0%) gave a positive result before treatment with cyanamide and might have been ALDH21/22 heterozygotes. Among 108 alcoholics who were not positive, the distribution of the cyanamide dose that yielded a positive ethanol patch test result was 30 mg in 42 cases (38.9%), 50 mg in 33 cases (30.6%), 70 mg in 5 cases (4.6%), 100 mg in 6 cases (5.6%), and 150 mg in 2 cases (1.9%). Prevalence of liver cirrhosis was significantly higher in alcoholics who showed a positive ethanol patch test result at doses of less than 50 mg cyanamide than those at doses more than 70 mg (p = 0.029). The prevalence of adverse effects was significantly higher in alcoholics who showed a positive ethanol patch test result at doses of more than 70 mg than at doses of less than 50 mg cyanamide (p = 0.002). Conclusions: The ethanol patch test is a useful method for identifying pharmacological effectiveness of cyanamide and may reduce the prevalence of side effects in cyanamide‐treated alcoholics.