RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SERUM AMINOTRANSFERASE LEVELS, LIVER HISTOLOGIES AND VIROLOGICAL STATUS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C IN TAIWAN

In patients with chronic hepatitis C, the relationships between serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, histological liver injury and s erum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA titres remain controversial. To evalu ate these relationships, 93 Chinese patients with histological diagnos is of chronic hepatitis C were enrolled for this study. Serum ALT leve ls, HCV-RNA titres and HCV genotypes were examined. The histology was evaluated according to a modified histological activity score based on the degree of periportal necro-inflammation, intralobular necro-infla mmation, portal inflammation, total necro-inflammation and fibrosis. T he mean serum ALT level was significantly higher in patients with seve re intralobular necro-inflammation activity than in patients with mild or no activity (P = 0.013). However, scores of intralobular activity were only weakly correlated with serum ALT levels (r = 0.27) and could not be used to adequately predict ALT values. Serum ALT levels showed no significant correlation with the scores of portal inflammation, pe riportal necro-inflammation, total necro-inflammation and fibrosis. Al so, there was no significant difference in the mean serum ALT level am ong different serum HCV-RNA levels and HCV genotypes. Serum HCV-RNA ti tres and genotypes showed no significant correlation with liver histol ogy and serum HCV-RNA titres were only weakly correlated with the tota l necro-inflammatory score (r = 0.27). In conclusion, although serum A LT levels were higher in patients with more severe intralobular necro- inflammatory activity, the correlation was not strong enough to adequa tely predict ALT values. Serum HCV-RNA titres and genotypes also showe d no significant correlation with serum ALT levels and liver histologi es.