title: Elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in patients with serologically verified Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia.
abstract: The possibility of liver involvement in Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia is still controversial. This study investigated 33 adult patients with serologically confirmed M. pneumoniae community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) (median age 31 years) and 38 patients with bacteraemic Streptococcus pneumoniae CAP (median age 54 years), all without pre-existing liver disease. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were elevated in 12 (36.4%) patients with M. pneumoniae CAP (median 53.5 U/L), and in four (10.5%) patients with S. pneumoniae CAP (median 61 U/L) (p 0.025). In most patients with M. pneumoniae CAP, the elevated ALT levels decreased during macrolide therapy, although this decrease was not significant.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Division of Hospital Hygiene, Medical University Vienna, Vienna General Hospital, Vienna, Austria. florian.daxboeck@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Daxboeck
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gattringer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Assadian
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000410:Alanine Transaminase