title: Metabolic investigations in patients with hepatitis B and C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the similarities and dissimilarities in patients with hepatitis B and hepatitis C, clinically and metabolically.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection were included in this study, along with fifty healthy controls for comparison purposes. Intravenous blood (10 mL) samples from patients and healthy subjects were collected and made to clot before serum was separated and immediately levels of the enzymes, alkaline phosphatase (ALK), creatinine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (s-GOT) and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (s-GPT) were determined by a kit method. For total content of each metal the serum samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, urea, creatinine and uric acid were determined using a kit method on Microlab 300.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum magnesium and copper levels remained unchanged, whereas the concentration of zinc decreased and iron increased significantly in both groups of patients. Total antioxidant activity was significantly decreased in both hepatitis B and C. Among the enzymes analyzed, ALK, s-GPT, LDH and s-GOT were all significantly increased in both patients with hepatitis B and C whereas CPK was significantly decreased in patients with hepatitis B and remained unchanged in patients with hepatitis C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The information accumulated by this study will help provide a better understanding of involved metabolic processes in order to design appropriate therapeutic approaches for treating these patients, so they can recover and lead normal lives.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, University of Sind, Jamshoro 75000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Abdul Aziz
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mastoi
authors.forename: Bikha Ram
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Devrajani
authors.forename: Syed Zulfiquar Ali
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Qasim
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Rohopoto
authors.forename: Sikander Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Memon
authors.forename: Marya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baloch
authors.forename: Ghulam Ali
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Qureshi
authors.forename: Waqas
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sami
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000378:metabolism; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000378:metabolism*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000378:metabolism; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008345:Manganese / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D008345:Manganese; D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D015032:Zinc