Is alanine aminotransferase a good marker of histologic hepatic damage in renal transplant patients with hepatitis C virus infection?
BACKGROUND
Renal transplant (RTx) patients with hepatitis C frequently show normal levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and the significance of ALT in this group has not been established.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the value of ALT as a marker of histologic hepatic damage in RTx patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.


METHODS
HCV-RNA-positive RTx patients with a liver biopsy were analyzed regarding staging and the grading of periportal and lobular necroinflammatory activity. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to determine the correlation between ALT and histologic variables. Sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) of ALT in the detection of septal fibrosis and interface hepatitis, and/or confluent necrosis were calculated.


RESULTS
Fifty-three patients (32 men, 60%), with a mean age of 42 +/- 10 yr and time since transplant of 5 +/- 4 yr were included. Only 27 (51%) patients showed elevated ALT levels, which were associated with septal fibrosis (p = 0.001), interface hepatitis (p < 0.001) and confluent necrosis (p = 0.05). A correlation was observed between ALT and staging (r = 0.50, p < 0.001), periportal necroinflammatory activity (r = 0.59, p < 0.001) and lobular necroinflammatory activity (r = 0.50, p < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of ALT were 92, 61, 41 and 96%, respectively, for the detection of septal fibrosis, and 87, 77, 74 and 88% for the detection of interface hepatitis and/or confluent necrosis.


CONCLUSIONS
ALT is a good marker of histologic hepatic lesion in HCV-infected RTx patients and, therefore, liver biopsy can be avoided in patients with persistently normal ALT.
Perez
Renata M
RM
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Ferreira
Adalgisa S P
AS
Medina-Pestana
José O
JO
Lanzoni
Valeria P
VP
Silva
Antonio Eduardo B
AE
Ferraz
Maria Lucia G
ML
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D015415:Biomarkers; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase