Rapid association of acetaldehyde with hemoglobin in human volunteers after low dose ethanol

A fluorigenic high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was used to determine plasma (PA) and hemoglobin-associated (HbAA) acetaldehyde levels following a pulse of 0.3 g/kg ethanol to volunteers from whom bloods were drawn serially for 8 hours on the clinical research unit. On discharge from the research unit, the volunteers were instructed to avoid ethanol for 28 days. The results were compared to previously published results in teetotalers and alcoholic individuals reporting for treatment at an inpatient detoxification facility (4). Following ethanol ingestion, the peak levels of ethanol and both plasma and hemoglobin-associated acetaldehyde were detected at the 30 min time point and plasma levels were less than those associated with hemoglobin (31±16 S.D. and 159±48 S.D. nmol/g respectively, p