— Christine M. Kukka, Project Manager, HBV Advocate
According to current medical guidelines, hepatitis
B patients with normal ALT levels—30 and 19 international units per
milliliter (IU/mL) in men and women respectively) do not require
treatment. However, U.S. researchers reviewed nine studies involving
830 patients with normal ALTs who had had liver biopsies and found that
27.8% had significant fibrosis (liver inflammation).
About one-fifth of patients with
only slightly elevated ALT levels (about 40 IU/L), "... May have
significant underlying fibrosis independent of HBeAg status, high HBV
DNA levels, or Asian ethnicity," they wrote. "Approach to patients with
normal ALT should be individualized as further evaluation and possibly
antiviral therapy may be appropriate in a subset of these patients."
Control ID: 1739901 Significant fibrosis among
patients with Chronic hepatitis B infection and only normal serum
alanine transaminase levels: A systematic review and meta-analysis. (Abstract #921)
Labels: accuracy of markers, ALT levels