title: Racial and ethnic differences in alcohol-associated aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase elevation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent analyses have confirmed that Hispanic and black non-Hispanic Americans are at an increased risk for death from liver cirrhosis. The reasons for this are unknown. As a common cause of cirrhosis, differing sensitivities to alcohol-related hepatocellular injury may play a role. This study compared racial and ethnic aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase level elevations within alcohol-drinking categories.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional analysis of adult subjects from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the risk for elevation of aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase levels among Mexican American and black non-Hispanic subjects compared with white non-Hispanic subjects within categories of alcohol use. Adjustment was made for age, sex, exposure to hepatitis C and B, and body mass index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among current drinkers, black non-Hispanic and Mexican Americans were more likely to have a 2-fold elevation in aspartate aminotransferase levels when compared with white non-Hispanic Americans. This was most pronounced in the highest-frequency drinkers (Mexican Americans: odds ratio, 9.1 [95% confidence interval, 3.9-21.0]; and black non-Hispanic Americans: odds ratio, 3.1 [95% confidence interval, 1.4-6.8]). No racial and ethnic differences were apparent among current abstainers. A similar pattern was found for 2-fold gamma-glutamyltransferase level elevations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among current drinkers, Mexican and black non-Hispanic Americans may have an increased risk for hepatocellular injury. These results require confirmation in other study populations for whom validated measures of quantity and pattern of drinking exist.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Erie County Medical Center, 462 Grider St, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA. ss243@buffalo.edu
authors.forename: Scott H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000208:ethnology; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases