Relationships between serum aminotransferase levels, liver histologies and virological status in patients with chronic hepatitis C in Taiwan.
In patients with chronic hepatitis C, the relationships between serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, histological liver injury and serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA titres remain controversial. To evaluate these relationships, 93 Chinese patients with histological diagnosis of chronic hepatitis C were enrolled for this study. Serum ALT levels, HCV-RNA titres and HCV genotypes were examined. The histology was evaluated according to a modified histological activity score based on the degree of periportal necro-inflammation, intralobular necro-inflammation, portal inflammation, total necro-inflammation and fibrosis. The mean serum ALT level was significantly higher in patients with severe intralobular necro-inflammation activity than in patients with mild or no activity (P = 0.013). However, scores of intralobular activity were only weakly correlated with serum ALT levels (r = 0.27) and could not be used to adequately predict ALT values. Serum ALT levels showed no significant correlation with the scores of portal inflammation, periportal necro-inflammation, total necro-inflammation and fibrosis. Also, there was no significant difference in the mean serum ALT level among different serum HCV-RNA levels and HCV genotypes. Serum HCV-RNA titres and genotypes showed no significant correlation with liver histology and serum HCV-RNA titres were only weakly correlated with the total necro-inflammatory score (r = 0.27). In conclusion, although serum ALT levels were higher in patients with more severe intralobular necro-inflammatory activity, the correlation was not strong enough to adequately predict ALT values. Serum HCV-RNA titres and genotypes also showed no significant correlation with serum ALT levels and liver histologies.
Department of Medicine, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan.
J C
JC
Luo
S J
SJ
Hwang
C R
CR
Lai
C L
CL
Lu
C P
CP
Li
S H
SH
Tsay
J C
JC
Wu
F Y
FY
Chang
S D
SD
Lee
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase