News and Press

USDTL Introduces New Alcohol Biomarker in Dried Blood Spots

DES PLAINES, Ill. (October 28, 2010) - United States Drug Testing Laboratories (USDTL), a reference laboratory specializing in illicit drug and alcohol testing, released a new assay testing dried blood spots for adult alcohol consumption on Thursday.  The assay screens for the direct alcohol biomarker phosphatidylethanol (PEth), an abnormal phospholipid formed in cell tissues following alcohol exposure. 

Collecting blood spots offers several advantages over whole blood collection.  Blood spot collection does not require a trained phlebotomist, and is therefore cheaper than the blood venipuncture assay.  Collecting blood spots causes less discomfort for the donor and boasts less stringent shipping requirements than whole blood. 

PEth in blood exists as a component of the red cell membrane.  PEth is a mid- to long-term biomarker measurable after consumption of approximately one to two drinks per day for six to seven days.  PEth can be measured in dried blood spots for two to three weeks following the most recent alcohol consumption.  Sample amount is five dried blood spots on filter paper provided by USDTL. 

The PEthStat^® dried blood spot assay is the ideal tool for healthcare practitioners concerned with monitoring alcohol abstinence or consumption.  To order the dried blood spot PEth test, researchers and clinicians can contact Client Services at (800) 235-2367 or at customer.service@usdtl.com.

USDTL has been a leader in the drug testing industry since 1991 through research and assay development. The laboratory performs more research than other laboratories 10 times our size. USDTL has made significant breakthroughs in the field of analytical toxicology by developing procedures to diagnose newborns for prenatal drug exposure using meconium and umbilical cord tissue and provides workplace and rehabilitation drug testing cost effectively using hair and nail specimens. To find out more, please visit www.usdtl.com.

Contact:

Heather Sliwinski, Marketing Communications Manager

Heather.sliwinski@usdtl.com

(847) 375-0770

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