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. 2005 Mar 21;11(11):1616-22.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i11.1616.

A community-based epidemiological study of elevated serum alanine aminotransferase levels in Kinmen, Taiwan

Chi-Ming Liu  1 , Tao-Hsin Tung, Jorn-Hon Liu, Victor-Tze-Kai Chen, Ching-Heng Lin, Chung-Te Hsu, Pesus Chou
Affiliations

A community-based epidemiological study of elevated serum alanine aminotransferase levels in Kinmen, Taiwan

Chi-Ming Liu et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Aim: To explore any gender-related differences in prevalence of and condition-associated factors related to an elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level amongst residents of Kinmen, Taiwan.

Methods: A total of 11,898 of a potential 20,112 regional residents aged 30 years or more completed a related questionnaire that was carried out by the Yang-Ming Crusade between 1991 and 1994 inclusively, with blood samples being collected by public nurses. The overall questionnaire response rate was 59.3% (52.4% for males and 66.0% for females).

Results: The prevalence of an elevated serum ALT level for this sub-population was found to be 7.2%, the prevalence revealing a statistically significant decrease with increasing population age (P<0.0001). Males exhibited a greater prevalence of elevated serum ALT level than did females (9.4% vs 5.3%, P<0.0001). Using multiple logistic regression analysis, in addition to male gender, a younger age, greater waist circumference, presence of type-2 diabetes and hyperuricemia were the significant factors associated with an elevated serum ALT level for both males and females. Gender-related differences as regards associated factors were also revealed. For males, obesity was significantly related to an elevated serum ALT level (OR = 1.28, 95%CI: 1.00-1.66) but this was not so for females (OR = 1.09, 95%CI: 0.84-1.42). Hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 1.80, 95%CI: 1.36-2.39) and hyperuricemia (OR = 1.61, 95%CI: 1.03-2.52) were significantly related to elevated serum ALT levels only for females.

Conclusion: Several gender-related differences were noted pertaining to the prevalence of and relationship between obesity, hypertriglyceridemia and hyperuricemia and elevated serum ALT level in the present study.

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