Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase serum activities in neonatal transient myocardial ischemia.

The behavior of serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase was evaluated during the first 30 postnatal days in 16 neonates with clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic features of transient myocardial ischemia. These common laboratory tests, requested usually as an aid to diagnosis and surveillance of myocardial damage both in the adult and infant age groups, do not seem to have any value in the perinatal period compared to established reference values of healthy or asphyxiated controls.