title: Adenosine deaminase activity in serum of patients with hepatitis -- a useful tool in monitoring clinical status.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The evaluation of adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in sera of patients with hepatitis should be considered a useful tool in the monitoring of their clinical status. In this study, we aimed to determine the relationship between viral load, transaminase levels, and serum ADA levels in hepatitis B virus (HBV)- and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy three patients with hepatitis B, 71 patients with hepatitis C and 40 healthy individuals were included. Patients with HBV and HCV infections were classified into 3 groups according to viral load. Serum ADA levels were investigated by colorimetric assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and ADA levels of HBV- and HCV-infected patients were higher than those of the control group. These differences were statistically significant for the levels of all enzymes in HCV-infected patients (p<0.05), and all except AST (p>0.05) in HBV-infected patients. ADA levels of HBV-infected patients with high viral loads were higher than those in HBV-infected patients with intermediate and low viral loads, and the difference was detectably significant between patients with high and intermediate viral loads. Evaluation of HCV-infected patients according to viral load showed no statistically significant relationship between viral load and serum ADA, ALT, and AST levels (p>0.05). HBV- and HCV-infected patients with high ALT and AST levels showed statistically significantly higher levels of ADA than patients with normal ALT and AST levels (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that serum ADA levels are associated more with the level of serum transaminases than viral load in HBV- and HCV-infected patients. In the treatment of patients with hepatitis, serum ADA levels should be considered a useful tool for the monitoring of liver condition.
authors: Department of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey. selcuk@med.sdu.edu.tr
authors: Selçuk
authors: S
authors: Kaya
authors: Emel Sesli
authors: ES
authors: Cetin
authors: Buket Cicioglu
authors: BC
authors: Aridogan
authors: Salih
authors: S
authors: Arikan
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Demirci
mesh_terms: D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood*; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000502:physiology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000502:physiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase