Elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in patients with serologically verified Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia.
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.
Daxboeck
F
F
Clinical Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Division of Hospital Hygiene, Medical University Vienna, Vienna General Hospital, Vienna, Austria. florian.daxboeck@meduniwien.ac.at
Gattringer
R
R
Mustafa
S
S
Bauer
C
C
Assadian
O
O
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
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000410:Alanine Transaminase