title: Liver disease in blood donors with raised transaminases.
abstract: 1000 consecutive blood donors had their liver functions studied. 110 donors (11%) were found to have raised ALT of more than twice normal levels. 29 donors had liver biopsies done. Histologically 23 had fatty change, 5 had chronic persistent hepatitis and 1 had liver cirrhosis. Fourteen out of the 23 donors with fatty change also had hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. Viral serology of the 110 donors showed that 3 donors were HBsAg positive, 5 donors were Anti-HAV (IgM) positive and 20 donors were Anti-HBc (IgM) positive. Majority of donors with raised ALT had fatty liver on biopsy with only 6 donors having significant findings of chronic persistent hepatitis and cirrhosis. Serologically, most of the donors (74.5%) with raised ALT had no markers of Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, CMV or EBV. An interesting finding is the high incidence (18%) of positive, Anti HBc (IgM) in donors with raised ALT.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D001782:Blood Donors; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000637:Transaminases