Biomarker Testing to Estimate Under-Reported Heavy Alcohol Consumption by Persons with HIV Initiating ART in Uganda

Alcohol affects the transmission and treatment of HIV, yet may be under-reported in resource-limited settings We compared self-reported alcohol consumption with levels of plasma carbohydrate-deficient transferin (%CDT), a biomarker of heavy alcohol consumption in persons initiating antiretroviral therapy in Uganda Almost seven percent (6 7%) of persons reporting abstaining and 10% reporting consuming 1-40 drinks in the prior month tested positive for %CDT, and actual under-report may be higher due to low sensitivity of %CDT These results suggest likely under-report in those reporting abstaining and current drinking Improved identification of heavy alcohol consumption is needed for research and clinical purposes