Clinicopathological study on liver dysfunction in measles.
We analyzed the clinical course of eight patients with liver dysfunction in measles. All of the patients showed an elevation of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), but no jaundice. These levels returned to normal about 3 weeks after the onset of the rash. A percutaneous liver biopsy was done in two cases. Histological examination showed slight necrosis of liver cells but no significant changes in portal area. On electron microscopy, virus particles were not detected. We detected measles virus RNA in the liver specimen by RT-PCR, which suggests that the measles virus affects liver cells directly in measles.
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Aichi Medical University, Aichi-gun.
A
A
Satoh
H
H
Kobayashi
T
T
Yoshida
A
A
Tanaka
T
T
Kawajiri
Y
Y
Oki
K
K
Kasugai
M
M
Tonai
K
K
Satoh
M
M
Nitta
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D008459:Measles virus / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D012367:RNA, Viral; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase