Short report: Abnormal liver function in scrub typhus.
Scrub typhus is one kind of rickettsial disease and may cause fever, cough, and skin rashes in infected humans. Regarding liver involvement, it was uncommon to be reported in previous medical literature from Western countries. This study observes the relationship between scrub typhus and liver function. From January 1998 to August 2003 in Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan, we observed 30 patients with scrub typhus, and 29 of them had liver function abnormality. In these patients, we found 89.3% with elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, 91.7% with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, 84.2% with elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels, and 38.5% with elevated total bilirubin levels. In our study, there is a close relationship between scrub typhus and impaired liver function tests. Therefore, if patients are found with fever of unknown origin and abnormal liver function, we should take scrub typhus into consideration.
Hu
Ming-Luen
ML
Division of Hepatogastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Liu
Jien-Wei
JW
Wu
Keng-Liang
KL
Lu
Sheng-Nan
SN
Chiou
Shue-Shian
SS
Kuo
Chung-Huang
CH
Chuah
Seng-Kee
SK
Wang
Jing-Houng
JH
Hu
Tsung-Hui
TH
Chiu
King-Wah
KW
Lee
Chuan-Mo
CM
Changchien
Chi-Sin
CS
D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000503:physiopathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012612:Scrub Typhus / Q000150:complications*; D013624:Taiwan