A study of 1234 hospitalized alcoholic patients for abnormal liver function parameters has indicated that serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) is the parameter most frequently found to be abnormal in an alcoholic population. The degree to which serum GGT levels exceeded the normal values also far exceeded other routinely used liver function tests. A role for serum GGT estimations in the management of alcoholic patients and in the assessment of hepatic damage arising from ethanol abuse is indicated.