Plasma alpha glutathione S - transferase in chronic hepatitis C infection in Egypt

Chronic hepatitis C [CHC] infection is a progressive disease whose activity must be regularly assessed. alpha -Glutathione S-transferase [alpha -GST] has been suggested as a better marker of hepatocellular damage than aminotransferases in toxic and autoimmune hepatitis. The present study assessed alpha -GST as a biochemical marker of hepatocellular damage in 50 Egyptian patients with CHC [seropositive for anti-hepatitis C virus [HCV] and HCV-RNA]. They were evaluated for conventional liver biochemistry, plasma alpha -GST, serum HCV-RNA levels and liver biopsy. Plasma alpha -GST was significantly higher in CHC patients than the reference values [p < 0.01] Sixteen patients [32%] had normal values for alanine aminotransferase [ALT], plasma alpha -GST was elevated in 11 of them [3 with minimal hepatitis; 6 mild and 2 moderate hepatitis]. Elevated plasma alpha -GST levels may indicate a hepatocellular damage even when ALT level is normal in CHC infection. Plasma alpha -GST was significantly higher in cirrhotic than non-cirrhotic patients [p < 0.01] suggesting that alpha -GST measurement is probably a sensitive test detecting liver damage occurring in association with cirrhosis. Plasma alpha -GST was significantly correlated with ALT [r = 0.67, p < 0,01] and aspartate aminotransferase [AST] [r = 0.62, p < 0.01] suggesting that alpha -GST may be a potential indicator of chronic hepatocellular damage due to HCV. Furthermore, plasma alpha -GST was significantly correlated with histologic grading score of hepatitis activity [r = 0.94, p < 0.01] and staging score of architectural alterations [r = 0.65, p < 0.01] indicating that plasma alpha -GST may be a sensitive and non invasive marker for detecting hepatitis activity and hepatocellular damage in CHC patients. There was a non-significant correlation between alpha -GST and serum HCV-RNA level indicating that plasma alpha -GST could not reflect the degree of viremia in these patients. The present data showed that alpha-GST has the highest sensitivity, specificity and accuracy [84%, 90% and 90%, respectively] for the diagnosis of parenchymal disintegrity and hepatocellular damage associated with chronic HCV infection followed by ALT [68%, 85% and 80%, respectively] then AST [62%, 75% and 68%, respectively]. This may indicate that alpha -GST gives better results than ALT and AST and may be preferred to them for monitoring hepatocellular damage associated with HCV infection. In conclusion, plasma alpha-GST determination appeared to be a sensitive, specific and non-invasive biochemical marker for detecting hepatocellular damage and may have a role in the follow up of CHC patients

Protein status in apparently healthy school age Egyptian children of different socioeconomic standards

This work was conducted on 40 apparently healthy Egyptian children of school age [6-12 years old] from both sexes. They were classified into 2 groups on the base of socioeconomic index the first group consists of 20 children of an average socioeconomic standard. The other 20 children represent the second group and they were of low socioeconomic standard. Prealbumin, retinol binding protein, total protein, protein electrophorsis, CBC, urine and stool examination were done, to each subject. The results of this work showed increase in Hb, total protein, prealbumin and retinol binding protein in group 1 than in group 2. There is also a positive correlation between prealbumin and retinol binding protein in the same group 1. The obtained results were discussed in relation to socioeconomic standard of the chosen children