Namour F, Morali A, Ilardo C, Abballe X, Maury F, Guéant JL. Comparison between serum alpha-glutathione S-transferase and aminotransaminases in detecting cytolysis in hepatitis C-infected children.
J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1999;
28:534-7. [PMID:
10328133 DOI:
10.1097/00005176-199905000-00019]
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Abstract
BACKGROUND
alpha-Glutathione S-transferase (alphaGST) has been proposed as a more sensitive indicator than serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in detecting hepatocellular damage due to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
METHODS
The accuracy of alpha-GST was compared with that of ALT and AST in detecting cytolysis in 103 blood samples issued from 31 children positive for HCV RNA.
RESULTS
alpha-GST had a lower sensitivity than ALT or AST (32% vs. 54.4% for each aminotransferase). The sensitivity of ALT and/or AST was 60.2%, whereas that of ALT and/or alpha-GST and AST and/or alpha-GST was lower (58.3% and 57.3%, respectively). Among 41 serum samples with negative ALT and AST, only 2 had positive alpha-GST, whereas alpha-GST failed to detect cytolysis in 31 samples with elevated ALT and/or AST. No correlation was found between alpha-GST, ALT, or AST and the Knodell score.
CONCLUSIONS
The combination of ALT with AST is actually the best compromise in detecting cytolysis in untreated HCV-infected patients.
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