Increase of Neurophysin II Serum Levels in Chronic Alcoholic Patients: Relationship with Alcohol Consumption and Alcoholism Blood Markers during Withdrawal Therapy

Abstract

Neurophysin II (hN_pII) but not hN_pI serum levels were higher than normal (> 2.85 ng/ml) in 9 of 20 patients admitted to the metabolic ward for alcohol withdrawal therapy; a normalization was observed within the first week of alcohol withdrawal. The higher levels of hN_pII were felt to reflect alcohol impregnation for the following reasons: 1) on admission, levels of most of the alcoholism bloodmarkers were higher in the group of patients with high hN_pII levels than in the group with normal hN_pII levels; 2) hN_pII levels were correlated with most of the alcoholism blood markers, mainly γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (r = 0.63, P < 0.001) in the 20 patients of the study; 3) patients with high hN_pII levels admitted to greater alcohol and less anxiolytic drug intake immediately before admission. The physiopathological meaning and hypothetical psychologicalconsequence of this hN_pII increase remain to be defined. (J Clin EndocrinolMetab56: 871, 1983)