[Hypertransaminasemia greater than 400 U/l in adults seen at a tertiary hospital. Prospective study of etiology].

AIM: To investigate the frequency of distinct causes of elevated transaminase levels in the range of acute viral hepatitides in patients attended in a hospital.

PATIENTS AND METHOD: Patients attended in a tertiary hospital over a 3-month period who had elevation of transaminase levels (aspartate aminotransferase [AST] or alanine aminotransferase [ALT]) above 400 U/l were identified and their medical records were reviewed to determine etiology.

RESULTS

A total of 106 patients were studied, of which 22 had undergone liver transplantation. In these patients, the causes of hypertransaminasemia were ischemic/reperfusion injury in 6 (27%), ischemic hepatitis in 4 (18%), acute hepatitis in 2 (9%), cellular rejection in 3 (14%), chronic hepatitis C in 4 (18%) and cholestasis in 3 (14%). In the 84 patients who did not undergo transplantation, the causes were hepatic ischemia in 24 (28%), chronic viral hepatitis in 19 (22%), toxic hepatitis in 12 (14%), pancreatico-biliary disease in 11 (13%), acute viral or bacterial hepatitis in 10 (12%), liver tumor in 3 (4%), cholestasis of pregnancy in one and unknown in 4 (5%). Ischemic lesions and pancreatico-biliary disease were more frequent in hospitalized patients while acute and chronic hepatitides were more frequent in outpatients. The worst outcomes were found in ischemic lesions and pancreatico-biliary disease.

CONCLUSION

Marked elevation of transaminase levels has multiple causes. Acute viral hepatitides were a relatively infrequent cause. In transplant recipients, the most frequent causes were ischemia/reperfusion injury, while in non-transplanted patients the most frequent causes were ischemic hepatitides and acute episodes of chronic viral hepatitides. The AST/ALT ratio did not contribute to etiologic diagnosis.