Serum ASAT Research Articles

Experimental basis of standardized specimen collection: the effect of moderate ethanol consumption on some serum components (K, Na, ASAT, ALAT, CK, LD, total protein).

Venous blood was collected on two mornings from seven healthy volunteers using the standard Scandinavian procedure (fasting, sitting and no tourniquet) and serum Na, K, ASAT, ALAT, CK, LD and total protein were assayed. Then ethanol (0.75 g/kg body weight) was given on three consecutive evenings and the subsequent observed values 1, 3, 15, 38, 62 and 110 h post-ethanol were compared with the morning values. The mean component/total protein ratios dropped 14% for ASAT and 19% for ALAT 62 and 15 h post-ethanol, respectively. CK rose 17% at 3 h and dropped 17% at 62 h. However, the absolute values of ASAT, ALAT and CK did not change significantly. The only significant post-ethanol changes occurred in Na +2.14 mmol/l at 1 h (p less than 0.01), K -0.24 mmol/l at 3 h (p less than 0.05) and +0.26 mmol/l at 15 h (p less than 0.05), and LD +31 IU/l at 15 h (p less than 0.05) and +25 IU/l at 110 h (p less than 0.01). In one series, the total protein concentration dropped 4.57 g/l at 110 h post ethanol (p less than 0.001) but this drop was not reproducible in two additional series. It is concluded that moderate (social) ethanol consumption does not produce clinically significant effects on the components analysed. Also it may be misleading to express results as component/total protein ratios.

Metabolic changes induced by combined prolonged exercise and low-calorie intake in man.

Thirteen middle-aged women and 10 men walked 344 km during 7 days. The daily walking distances were 57, 53, 67, 53, 41, 36, and 37 km at an average speed of 3.5 km X h-1. During the hike the subjects drank water, mineral drinks, and juices ad libitum. Except for some natural products, no food intake was allowed. During the hike the body weight and serum protein concentration of the subjects decreased by about 7%, on average. Serum triglyceride and total cholesterol decreased drastically, about 30-40% during the hike, but HDL-cholesterol showed a tendency to increase, giving a 40% increment in HDL/total cholesterol ratio. Serum free fatty acids rose 1.5-2 times above the starting level. Serum glucose and evening insulin levels decreased significantly during the hike. Serum cortisol in evening samples after the daily walking and plasma norepinephrine concentrations were significantly increased, reflecting the immediate daily response to the combined fasting and walking. Serum testosterone levels decreased in men but not in women, indicating the involvement of the LH-testis pathway in the decrease obtained. Serum ASAT activity rose to about three times the starting level during the hike, whereas gamma-GT activity gradually decreased. These marked metabolic changes caused by combined fasting and several days exercise were in many respects (as in cholesterol, HDL/total cholesterol ratio or testosterone levels) more pronounced than those earlier reported to be caused by exercise or fasting alone.

Serum ASAT, ALAT, ALP, LD, GT, and CK determined in the Cobas-Bio centrifugal analyser by the methods of the Scandinavian Committee on Enzymes

The recommended methods of the Scandinavian Committee on Enzymes [4, 5, 6, 7, 8] have been applied to the Cobas-Bio centrifugal analyser. Reagents and serum volumes were scaled down and final molarities were kept equal. Serum volumes in microliters were as follows: ASAT 30, ALAT 30, ALP 3, LD 5, GT 20, and CK 10. Including the dead space of the sample cup, the volume needed to perform all six tests was 113 microliter. Within-run and between-run precision (CV%) were as follows: ASAT 1.32 and 1.95, ALAT 1.68 and 2.93, ALP 1.56 and 3.10, LD 1.63 and 4.44, GT 0.81 and 2.23, and CK 1.02 and 1.94. Mean deviations (%) from target values of two commercial sera were as follows: ASAT -0.3 and -0.4, ALAT -0.4 and -2.2, ALP -1.8 and -7.3, LD 0.4 and -6.2, GT 13.9 and -10.7, and CK -4.9 and -1.3. Results of all the methods correlated well with those obtained with their respective manual methods. Analytical time for 28 samples of each analyte was 10 min, apart from CK which was 14 min. Reagent cost per sample was 0.6, 0.9, 0.1, 0.3, 0.9, and 26 US cents respectively. All reagents were prepared in the laboratory, except those for CK which were bought from J.T. Baker (Phillipsburgh, NJ, USA). In conclusion, the methods keep the features of the manual methods but they are more precise and practicable, much faster and cheaper, and use minimal amounts of sera more convenient for paediatric work.

Serum ASAT, ALAT, ALP, LD, GT, and CK determined in the Cobas-Bio centrifugal analyser by the methods of the Scandinavian Committee on Enzymes

Serum ASAT, ALAT, ALP, LD, GT, and CK determined in the Cobas-Bio centrifugal analyser by the methods of the Scandinavian Committee on Enzymes

Serum ferritin in alcoholics and the relation to liver damage, iron state and erythropoietic activity.

Serum ferritin was measured in two groups of alcoholics; one comprised 71 individuals on ambulatory control and with varying current alcohol intake and the other 19 alcoholics followed with serial determinations during two weeks of abstinence Serum ferritin was elevated in 26 subjects in the larger group, and 22 of them had elevated ASAT and ALAT values. Low-grade but significant correlations were found between serum levels of ferritin and serum concentrations of some variables used to detect liver affection (ASAT, ALAT, bilirubin and gamma-GT). Serum ferritin and ASAT declined in a parallel fashion in the 19 patients studied longitudinally, so that the ferritin:ASAT ratio described a straight line. No correlation was found between serum ferritin or the serum ferritin:ASAT ratio and serum iron. Neither was any correlation observed between the magnitude of the changes in serum ferritin and the changes in serum iron, serum transferrin or circulating platelets or reticulocytes observed in the serially followed alcoholics. These data indicate that elevated serum ferritin in alcoholics is associated with the degree of liver affection and not with the degree of erythropoietic activity.

Body disappearance and liver mean transit time of 99m-Tc-diethyl-IDA.

The body disappearances and the liver mean transit times of a hepatobiliary tracer, 99mTc-diethyl IDA, were measured from 100 cholescintigraphies of 98 patients. Fifteen patients had no hepatobiliary disease; their mean body disappearance was 6.6, SD 1.1%/min, and mean liver mean transit time 32, SD 19 min. The values within 2 SDs, disappearance greater than or equal to 4.4%/min and mean transit time less than or equal to 70 min, were used as reference values. Disappearance constants below 4.4%/min were observed 29% and mean transit times exceeding 70 min in 49% of the examinations performed on patients with some hepatobiliary abnormality. The calculated parameters were compared with the levels of serum bilirubin and ASAT. Disappearance constants below 4.4%/min were seen in 33% and mean transit times exceeding 70 min in 55% of the patients who had either abnormal serum bilirubin or ASAT due to a hepatobiliary disease. The correlation between the serum bilirubin and the disappearance was -0.13, and between ASAT and body disappearance it was -0.28. The corresponding correlation coefficients of serum bilirubin and ASAT with the liver mean transit times were 0.33 and 0.44. Long mean transit times in relation to bilirubin and ASAT were seen in some acute cases. Short mean transit times in relation to bilirubin and ASAT were seen with falling serum levels of the latter.

Hepatic necrosis in the pig produced by transient arterial occlusion.

The effects of transient liver ischaemia were studied in young pigs. At operation, a specially designed ligature sling was placed around the hepatic artery and brought out through the abdominal wall so that it could be later tightened. All other routes of arterial supply to the liver were divided. The arterial supply was occluded for 1, 2, 4 or 12 h on the 1st and 3rd postoperative days. Ischaemic damage was assessed histologically and by serum ASAT and acid hydrolase levels. Liver necrosis developed after 1--2 h of occlusion and increased after 4 and 12 h of occlusion. Ischaemic liver damage was reduced when the operation and occlusion were separated by 72 hr.

Creatine kinase B-subunit activity in human serum. II. Evaluation of S-CK B-subunit activity in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction

In a group of 113 consecutive patients taken into a coronary care unit on suspicion of acute myocardial infarction, blood samples were taken every 6 h and the following enzyme activities were measured: creatine kinase (S-CK), aspartate aminotransferase (S-ASAT), alanine aminotransferase (S-ALAT) and lactate dehydrogenase (S-LD). All measurements were made according to the Recommendations of the Scandinavian Committee on Enzymes. On all patients S-CK B subunit activity was determined by immunoinhibition with a specific anti CK M-subunit inhibitory antibody. At peak values of the respective total enzyme activities CK and LD isoenzymes were further qualitatively estimated by electrophoresis. The data indicate that even serial determinations of total CK, ASAT, ALAT and LD activities in serum do not provide the information required for a conclusive diagnosis of myocardial infarction in the individual case. In contrast, the positive predictive value (PV) of S-CK B was found to be 1.0 and the negative predictive value was 0.98. S-CK MB showed a PV pos. of 1.0 and also a PV neg. of 1.0. Electrophoretic determination of S-LD iso-enzymes was slightly poorer with a PV pos. of 0.96 and PV neg. of 0.98. S-CK, total activity with nearly 9 per cent false positives had a positive predictive value of only 0.91, but a negative one of 1.0.

Serum transaminase levels after experimental paracetamol-induced hepatic necrosis.

The relationship between serum transaminase levels and the extent of paracetamol-induced liver necrosis has been investigated in the rat. Three methods of histological quantitation were used to assess of necrosis--arbitrary grading, point counting, and the image-analysis computer. Highly significant correlations were obtained between the three methods and all were found to be reproducible. A close correlation was found between the extent of hepatic necrosis and the serum ASAT and ALAT 24 hours after a large dose (4 g/kg) of paracetamol. Likewise, the mean grade of necrosis correlated reasonably well with the serum enzyme levels in the recovery phase at 36 and 72 hours, although the transaminase level for a given degree of necrosis was considerably lower at 72 hours than at 24 hours. These findings suggest that serum transaminase levels gives a reliable indication of the severity of hepatic necrosis if the time of ingestion of the paracetamol is known and taken into account.

THE DIAGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF A HIGH ASAT/ALAT (GOT/GPT) RATIO IN PATIENTS WITH VERY HIGH SERUM AMINOTRANSFERASE LEVELS

Abstract. A consecutive study of 160 patients with very high (>500 U/1) serum ASAT activity has revealed that this was most commonly due to acute hepatitis, circulatory disturbances, or malignant liver disease. In acute hepatitis the ASAT increase was usually accompanied by a similar rise in ALAT. An ASAT/ALAT ratio > 3 was almost entirely restricted to patients with circulatory disturbances or malignant liver disease. The latter diagnosis should thus be suspected in patients with markedly increased serum aminotransferase activity and an ASAT/ALAT ratio > 3 without evidence of circulatory disturbances.