title: Evaluation of aminotransferase abnormality in dengue patients: A meta analysis.
abstract: Dengue virus is a type of flavivirus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The symptoms of infection by this virus range from asymptomatic or mild symptomatic dengue fever (DF) to dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Significant abnormality in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) has been shown in a large number of dengue infection cases and to be indicator for liver injury provided that there are no other combined infections or liver injury. This study aims to assess the abnormal levels of liver aminotransferase in dengue patients. The related literature was searched in multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library. The literature was selected through strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the quantitative synthesis of the liver aminotransferase abnormality was performed with R software. The fixed or random effects model was employed based on the results of the statistical test for homogeneity. In total, 15 studies were included. The proportion of AST abnormality with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.56-0.92) in DHF patients and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.63-0.84) in DF patients; the proportion of ALT abnormality was 0.54 (95% CI: 0.34-0.73) in DHF patients and 0.52 (95% CI: 0.41-0.63) in DF patients. Serum ALT and AST levels may be indicators for evaluating liver injury in dengue infection and for diagnosis and treatment effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical University, (#)1 New City Road, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, People's Republic of China; Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, (#)1023 South Shatai Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, (#)1023 South Shatai Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hai-Xia
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, (#)1023 South Shatai Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shi-Chen
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, (#)1023 South Shatai Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical University, (#)1 New City Road, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiu-Juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, (#)1023 South Shatai Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: hongjuan@smu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hong-Juan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D019595:Severe Dengue / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Aminotransferase; Dengue; Liver injury; Meta analysis