Risk factors for serum alanine aminotransferase elevation: A cross-sectional study of healthy adult males in Tokyo, Japan.
BACKGROUND
Liver-protective effects of light-to-moderate alcohol consumption have been suggested.


OBJECTIVE
To determine predictors of ALT elevation in asymptomatic subjects with and without ultrasonographical evidence of fatty liver.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey of 9703 healthy males. Exclusion criteria were HBV or HCV infection, any use of hepatotoxic medication, history of alcohol abuse, chronic renal or hepatic failure, or treatment for metabolic disorders. Presence of fatty liver was evaluated by ultrasonography; visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was measured by computed tomography (CT).


RESULTS
7148 males (mean age, 50.3±7.8 years) were included; 2406 (33.7%) had fatty liver at ultrasonography. ALT was elevated in 163 (3.4%) and 554 subjects (23.0%) of fatty liver-negative and fatty liver-positive subgroups, respectively. Light (40-140g/week) alcohol consumption was significantly and independently associated with reduced prevalence of ALT elevation in the fatty liver-negative subgroup (OR=0.568, 95% CI=0.342-0.943, P=0.029). ALT elevation was significantly related to age, VAT, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) in the fatty liver-negative subgroup.


CONCLUSIONS
Light alcohol consumption is not associated with serum ALT elevation in the Japanese male population. Metabolic syndrome factors are significantly associated with prevalence of ALT elevation, irrespective of the presence of fatty liver.
Gunji
Toshiaki
T
Center for Preventive Medicine, Kanto Medical Center, NTT East, Tokyo, Japan.
Matsuhashi
Nobuyuki
N
Sato
Hajime
H
Iijima
Kimiko
K
Fujibayashi
Kazutoshi
K
Okumura
Mitsue
M
Sasabe
Noriko
N
Urabe
Akio
A
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014041:Tokyo; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D000410:Alanine Transaminase