BMJ, doi: 10.1136/bmj.38050.593634.63, (Published 17 March 2004)

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Normal serum aminotransferase concentration and risk of mortality from liver diseases: prospective cohort study

Hyeon Chang Kim ¹, Chung Mo Nam ¹, Sun Ha Jee ², Kwang Hyub Han ³, Dae Kyu Oh ⁴, Il Suh ¹

¹ Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 134 Shinchon-Dong, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-752, Republic of Korea
² Graduate School of Health Science and Management, Yonsei University, Seoul
³ Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul
⁴ Bureau of Health Promotion, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea

Objective To examine the relation between the normal range of serum aminotransferase concentration and mortality from liver disease.

Design Prospective cohort study.

Setting Korea Medical Insurance Corporation study with eight years' follow up.

Participants 94 533 men and 47 522 women aged 35-59 years

Main outcome measure Mortality from liver diseases according to death certificate.

Results There was a positive association between the aminotransferase concentration, even within normal range (35-40 IU/l), and mortality from liver disease. Compared with the concentration <20 IU/l, the adjusted relative risks for an aspartate aminotransferase concentration of 20-29 IU/l and 30-39 IU/l were 2.5 (95% confidence interval 2.0 to 3.0) and 8.0 (6.6 to 9.8) in men and 3.3 (1.7 to 6.4) and 18.2 (8.1 to 40.4) in women, respectively, The corresponding risks for alanine aminotransferase were 2.9 (2.4 to 3.5) and 9.5 (7.9 to 11.5) in men and 3.8 (1.9 to 7.7) and 6.6 (1.5 to 25.6) in women, respectively. According to receiver operating characteristic curves the best cut-off values for the prediction of liver disease in men were 31 IU/l for aspartate aminotransferase and 30 IU/l for alanine aminotransferase.

Conclusion People with slightly increased aminotransferase activity, but still within the normal range, should be closely observed and further investigated for liver diseases.

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(Accepted 28 January 2004)
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