Comparison of clinical laboratory liver tests between asymptomatic HBV and HCV carriers with persistently normal aminotransferase serum levels

Abstract

We examined the clinicopathological state in asymptomatic hepatitis C virus (HCV) carriers with persistently normal aminotransferase serum levels in comparison with asymptomatic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers. The findings showed that the thymol turbidity test (TTT) values and zinc sulfate turbidity test (ZTT) values were significantly higher in asymptomatic HCV carriers than in asymptomatic HBV carriers, whose values were within the normal limits. Multivariate analysis showed that the independent predictor of serum TTT and ZTT levels was the HCV infection. In clinical state, simple and cheap tests such as TTT and ZTT are useful for mass screening to detect HCV carriers in medical check-ups of healthy workers.