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We studied platelet 3H-serotonin uptake in 32 former alcoholics, withdrawn for from 1 month to 22 years, in their descendants (21.7 +/- 1.6 years old, n = 17; 10.9 +/- 0.7 years old; n = 19), and in respective control groups, paired in age and sex. All of the alcoholics presented high 3H-serotonin uptake (Vmax = 10.88 +/- 4.23 pmoles/10(8)pl/30 sec., vs. 0.93 +/- 0.15 pmole/10(8)pl/30 sec. Their descendants also showed high platelet serotonin uptake: 3.94 +/- 1.44 pmoles/10(8)pl/30 sec., vs. 0.93 +/- 0.15 pmoles/10(8)pl/30 sec. for adult descendants, and 5.99 +/- 2.23 vs. 0.84 +/- 0.15 pmole/10(8)pl/30 sec. for young descendants. All subjects were free of alcoholisation (biological parameters studied were blood ethanol concentration, gamma glutamyl transferase and mean corpuscular volume), and dependence of former alcoholics was evaluate by using, a posteriori, the CAGE test. In descendants, 28% of the subjects have Vmax values higher than the highest of the control group. Alcohol, in vitro, (54 mM) did not affect serotonin uptake in any group. These results indicate that in descendants of alcoholics, platelet serotonin uptake is altered, without modification of sensitivity to ethanol. The genetic basis of alcohol dependence could be linked with the platelet serotonin transport.

We present a study of 107 in-patients of a detoxification center. As expected, 81 percent of them showed upon admittance an increased serum gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT). After alcohol withdrawal, GGT decreased in all but one of these patients. More surprisingly, even among the rest of the patients exhibiting upon admittance a GGT result within the reference range, there still occurred a significant decrease in 50 percent of the cases. Thus, whether the initial GGT is high or normal, we observed a decrease in 96 patients out of 107, i.e., a sensitivity of 0.90. The decrease test consists in asking a subject to refrain from any alcohol intake during a short period, e.g., seven days. If any significant diminution of serum GGT occurs, the possibility of alcohol abuse should at least be given serious consideration before being rejected. This test was used up to now only when GGT was initially high. The present results show that it can be attempted even when GGT is initially within the normal range, with a sensitivity of 0.90.