Risperidone and liver function tests in children and adolescents: a short-term prospective study.
OBJECTIVE
Revealing of unknown adverse effects of atypical antipsychotics on pediatric population may take a long period of time. The purpose of this prospective study is to document changes in the liver function tests (LFTs) associated with risperidone usage in a group of children and adolescents.


METHODS
Study subjects consist of 120 youths with ages ranging from 3-17 years. For this study, patients' baseline and follow-up weight and hepatobiliary function tests including alanine aminotransferases(ALT) and aspartat aminotransferases (AST), gamma gluatamyl transerase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and serum bilirubin levels were measured before and after the treatment period of one month.


RESULTS
Only one male patient's ALT levels increased up to three-fold and AST levels increased up to two-fold of the basal levels. First month mean levels of liver enzymes and billuribin of the patients were significantly higher than the baseline. Sixty-three patients (52.5%) showed an asymptomatic increase in the liver enzymes and/or billuribin levels of the first month of this study. Weight gain was observed in 58 patients (57.4%). There was no significant association between changes in weight and liver enzymes and billuribin levels.


CONCLUSIONS
We found clinically non significant liver function test abnormalities mostly in the form of ALP elevation in 52.5% and marked liver enzymes elevation in 0.8% of risperidone-treated subjects. However use of concomitant medications and variations in age are the limitations of this study. These findings suggest that risperidone treatment in the short term may lead to liver function changes in children and adolescents.
Erdogan
Ayten
A
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, Faculty of Medicine, Zonguldak, Turkey. aytenerd@yahoo.com
Atasoy
Nuray
N
Akkurt
Hanife
H
Ozturk
Devrim
D
Karaahmet
Elif
E
Yalug
Irem
I
Yalug
Kivanc
K
Ankarali
Handan
H
Balcioglu
Ibrahim
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D008111:Liver Function Tests / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011618:Psychotic Disorders; D018967:Risperidone / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D018967:Risperidone; D001663:Bilirubin