Detection of ethanol consumption by ELISA assay measurement of acetaldehyde adducts in murine hair

Acetaldehyde (AA), a principal metabolite of ethanol, reacts with proteins to form protein-AA adducts in vivo and in vitro. We studied three different protein-AA adducts produced m vitro, as well as hair keratin-AA adducts from ethanol-fed and/or cocaine-injected mice. An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed that detected the stable protein- AA adducts m protein isolated from hair. Cocaine injection had little effect on hair AA adduct formation. The indirect ELISA assay showed significantly increased levels of keratin-AA adducts an hair from mice fed ethanol for 8 weeks. Hair collection was nominvasive and the AA-protein adducts were stable. Therefore, this indirect ELISA assay could be further developed as a biochemical parameter for alcoholism in the clinical setting.