I received an answer from "Pinkfreud-ga" on Google, regarding my
inquiry of what a CDT /"Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin" test is
used for by insurance companies. He/she informed me that many
insurance companies
use a CDT test to check for possible alcohol abuse in potential
customers.

My next question regarding this subject is as follows...I was
diagnosed with food borne hepatitis almost two years ago, in April of
2001. Since that time my doctor and I have been monitoring my
bloodwork via liver panel tests every 3-6 months. My ALT numbers
continue to drop however they are still slightly elevated.

So, finally the big question..is it possible that these elevated ALT
numbers will cause a positive CDT result? I have received a positive
CDT on my bloodwork from the insuirance company but I am by no means
an excessive drinker...I might drink once a week and have 3 glasses of
wine or 3 beers on a Saturday evening, I never drink during the week.
So why the positive CDT result? Could over the counter supplements
used to workout & gain weight, creatine, protein powder, herbs etc
throw off the results of a CDT test as well? Can the elevated liver
count cause a positive reading as well?

Thanks

Dear kgirouard-ga;

Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting
question.

The conditions you mentioned have indeed been known to cause false
positive results on a CDT Test, inaccurately indicating a pattern of
alcohol abuse in some patients.

A CDT test “produces false-positive results regarding chronic alcohol
abuse in many states, e.g. obstructive liver disease, posthepatic
obstruction, hepatitis, fatty liver, liver cirrhosis, liver carcinoma
with metastases, cardiac insufficiency, mononucleosis, renal
transplant, hyperthyroidism, myotonic dystrophy, diabetes mellitus…and
pancreatitis”

Other causes of false-positives indicated in this document are:

Billiray cirrhosis
Chronically active hepatitis
End stage liver disease
Cystic fibrosis
Carbohyrate-deficient glycoprotein syndromes (CDG)

The document goes on to explain how certain things can also affect the
sensitivity of the test such as age, gender, body mass, smoking,
drinking patterns, and hypertension.

The results of a CDT test are not an accurate method of making any
conclusions as to one’s use or abuse of alcohol. As you can see from
this statement, the test is not supposed to be used as a sole means of
making this type of analysis.

“Moreover, a CDT is not a screening tool for detection of increased
alcohol consuption but the most specific marker of chronic alcohol
abuse. Diagnosis of chronic alcohol abuse should always be made based
on a clinical background, questionnaire, CDT, GGT, and not on a CDT
value (alone)”
 

“Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin (CDT”
pdf:
http://www.medicine.org.hk/hkscc/communication/v5n1/23-26.pdf
html: http://216.239.53.100/search?q=cache:b2FyzwZfLugC:www.medicine.org.hk/hkscc/communication/v5n1/23-26.pdf+false+results+%22cdt+test%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

In this document, even the widely accepted positive result itself
comes under scrutiny:

”…the question remains, is 0.5% - 0.75% a reasonable estimate of the
true prevalence for alcohol misuse in insured applicants?”

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LIVER ENZYME ELEVATIONS

Pdf.: http://www.crlcorp.com/pdfs/The%20Significance%20of%20Liver%20Enzyme%20Elevations%20(Paper%20II).pdf
 
Html:
http://216.239.53.100/search?q=cache:qyTAqCUkJBYC:www.crlcorp.com/pdfs/The%2520Significance%2520of%2520Liver%2520Enzyme%2520Elevations%2520(Paper%2520II).pdf+false+results+%22cdt+test%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

I found no indication that nutritional supplements or herbal
supplements created this kind of false reading, but in considering
your other underlying physical conditions, you certainly appear to
fall into the category of people whose tests results would normally
raise a few questions, regardless of their outcome.

I hope you find that that my research exceeds your expectations. If
you have any questions about my research please post a clarification
request prior to rating the answer. I welcome your rating and your
final comments and I look forward to working with you again in the
near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga



INFORMATION SOURCES

“Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin (CDT”
http://www.medicine.org.hk/hkscc/communication/v5n1/23-26.pdf

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LIVER ENZYME ELEVATIONS
http://www.crlcorp.com/pdfs/The%20Significance%20of%20Liver%20Enzyme%20Elevations%20(Paper%20II).pdf



SEARCH STRATEGY


SEARCH ENGINE USED:

Google ://www.google.com


SEARCH TERMS USED:

FALSE POSITIVE "CDT TEST"

CAUSES FALSE "CDT TEST"

SUPPLEMENTS FALSE “CDT”

HERBS FALSE “CDT”

HERBAL FALSE “CDT”