title: Healthy centenarian subjects: the effect of red wine consumption on liver function tests.
abstract: Liver function is well maintained with increasing age. The aim of our study was to investigate if long-term moderate (<or=500 ml/day) red wine consumption influences the most common laboratory tests of liver function in healthy centenarians. Wine consumption habits were classified as moderate red wine drinkers (D) (<or=500 ml/day of red wine consumption in the past and present) (no.=3 males, 16 females) and abstainers (A) who never consumed red wine or alcoholic beverages (no.=1 male, 4 females). None were heavy drinkers. Laboratory tests revealed low levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). AST was higher in A (Mean+/-SE=8.40+/-0.32 U/l) in comparison to D (Mean+/-SE=6.25+/-0.72 U/l), but this difference was not statistically significant. Total-bilirubin (Tbil), alkaline phosphatase (AlkP), gamma- glutamyltransferase (GGT) and pseudocholinesterase (CHE) were in the normal range, and there was no difference between D and A. We conclude that red wine consumption in centenarians had no negative effect on circulating liver enzyme activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care Medicine and Surgery, Gerontology and Geriatrics Unit, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy. P.Pinzani@dfc.unifi.it
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pinzani
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petruzzi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Orlando
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Malentacchi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Petruzzi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pazzagli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masotti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008099:Liver / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013995:Time; D014920:Wine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D001663:Bilirubin