Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) as a Biomarker of Alcohol Consumption in HIV-Infected Young Russian Women: Comparison to Self-Report Assessments of Alcohol Use

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Andrew K. Littlefield, Texas Tech University; Jennifer L. Brown, University of Cincinnati; Ralph Joseph Diclemente, Emory University; Polina Safonova, St Petersburg AIDS Center; Jessica Sales, Emory University; Eve S. Rose, Emory University; Nikolay Belyakov, North-West Regional Center for Control and Prevention of AIDS; Vadim V. Rassokhin, First Pavlov State Medical University
• Language: English
• Date: 2017-07-01
• Publisher: Springer Verlag (Germany)
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2017 Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Part of Springer Nature.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10461-017-1769-7
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: AIDS and Behavior
• ISSN: 1090-7165
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 7
• Start Page: 1938
• End Page: 1949
• Grant/Funding Information: Ralph J. DiClemente was supported by grant 1U01DA0362233 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and 1R01AA018096 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.; Jennifer L. Brown was supported by R03DA0377860 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
• Keywords: ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY; USE DISORDERS; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Alcohol drinking; Biomarker; SUBSTANCE USE; Biomedical Social Sciences; SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA; Social Sciences, Biomedical; LIVER-DISEASE; Social Sciences; INJECTION-DRUG USERS; PHOSPHOLIPASE-D; Science & Technology; HIV; Phosphatidylethanol; HEPATITIS-C; DRIED BLOOD SPOTS; ST-PETERSBURG; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
• Research Categories: Psychology, Behavioral; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

Background: Alcohol use is particularly deleterious for HIV-infected individuals and thus accurate assessment of alcohol consumption is crucial in this population. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) provides an objective assessment of drinking and can be compared to self-reported alcohol assessments to detect underreporting. The purpose of this study was to identify underreporting and its potential predictors in an HIV-infected sample of young Russian women. Methods: The current study examined the concordance between a quantitative measure of PEth and self-reported recent alcohol consumption in a prospective sample of HIV-infected young women (N = 204) receiving medical care in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Results: At baseline, 53% of participants who denied drinking in the prior 30 days tested positive for PEth (i.e., underreporters), although this rate decreased significantly at a three-month follow-up assessment. Further exploration did not identify consistent predictors of underreporting status. Quantitative PEth levels showed, at best, modest overlap to self-reported alcohol consumption among those reporting alcohol use (e.g., Spearman’s r = .27 between PEth and total drinks past-30 days at baseline). Conclusions: Objective measures of alcohol consumption demonstrate modest overlap with self-report measures of use in HIV-infected young Russian women. Incorporating objective and quantifiable biological markers are essential for valid assessments of alcohol use.