Clinical significance of serum m-AST in alcoholic liver disease

Objective To investigate the prognostic significance of the serum aspartate aminotransferase mitochondrial isoenzyme(m-AST) activity in alcoholic liver disease(ALD).Methods The serum levels of m-AST,gamma-glutamyltransferase(GGT),alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) were determined by immuno-inhibition assays in 104 patients with ALD,100 patients with viral hepatitis [non-ALD(NALD) group] before treatment and after treatment for 3 weeks and 100 healthy subjects(control group).The changes of serum GGT,ALT,AST,m-AST activities were observed in AFL,AH and AC patients before and after treatment.Results The activities of serum GGT,ALT,AST and m-AST in ALD and NALD groups were significantly higher than those in control group(P0.05),and the activities in NALD group were significantly higher than those in ALD group(P0.05).After the treatment,the GGT,ALT and AST activities in ALD group decreased significantly(P0.001).The activities in AFL and AH groups decreased more significantly than those in AC group.After the treatment,the GGT,ALT,AST and m-AST activities decreased basically to the normal levels in AFL group.The m-AST activity decreased significantly in AH group,while the m-AST activity decreased not significantly in AC group.Conclusions Serum m-AST has clinical significance in monitoring ALD.