Abstract: Objective To investigate the relationship between stages of liver fibrosis and alanine amino
transferase (ALT). Methods Total of 510 cases of chronic hepatitis from January 2000 to January 2001 in
the Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen Affiliated to Guangdong Medical University were selected. Liver
biopsy was performed to evaluate the liver fibrosis. The patients were divided into two different stages
according to the progression of liver fibrosis, the early-middle stages (S0→S1→S2) and the middle-late
stages (S2→S3→S4). In these two stages, three subgroups were divided into group A (ALT ≤ ULN, ULN =
40 U/L), group B (ULN < ALT ≤ 2 × ULN) and group C (ALT > 2 × ULN) according to ALT levels. The
relationship between fibrosis progressing and ALT levels in each stage was furtherly investigated. Results Of
the 510 patients, 391 (76.67%) were male and 119 (23.33%) were female. Among these patients, 404 cases
were in the early-middle stages (28 cases in S0, 261 cases in S1 and 115 cases in S2) and with the progression
of liver fibrosis, the difference between fibrosis and ALT was statistically significant (χ 2 = 25.377, P = 0.00).
“Bonferroni” method was used to test the ALT levels of three subgroups and the inspection level was adjusted to 0.05/3 (0.017). ALT levels in each group had statistical differences (P < 0.017) and the value of “r” was
0.137 by Spearman method, which meant with the progression of fibrosis, ALT presented an increased trend.
Total of 221 patients were in the middle-late stages (115 cases in S2, 67cases in S3 and 39 cases in S4), and
the differences between fibrosis and ALT had no statistical significance (χ 2 = 6.365, P = 0.173) in this stage.
Similarly, differences of ALT levels in each group had no statistical significance (P > 0.017) according to the
above method. Conclusion During the progress of liver fibrosis in CHB, ALT presented a gradually increased
trend in the early-middle stages and had no relationship in the middle-late stages.
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