title: Liver involvement during influenza infection: perspective on the 2009 influenza pandemic.
abstract: Elevation of liver transaminase levels is a frequent observation during systemic infections. The aim of our study was to investigate liver damage during pandemic 2009 influenza A/H1N1 infection in comparison with seasonal influenza. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) were significantly higher in patients with pandemic influenza compared to seasonal influenza, which was strongly correlated with hypoxia. Moreover, a positive correlation between C-reactive protein and serum GGT, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase was noticed. Our findings support the hypothesis that the pandemic 2009 influenza A/H1N1 is an illness with a significant immune response to infection leading to hepatocellular injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Viral Hepatitis, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Zagreb, Croatia. npapic@bfm.hr
authors.forename: Neven
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papic
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pangercic
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vargovic
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barsic
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vince
authors.forename: Ilija
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kuzman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000821:virology; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000293:injuries*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058873:Pandemics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase