Hepatitis C, table 1, Slow Progression Rate of Fibrosis in Hepatitis C Virus Patients With Persistently NormalAlanine Transaminase Activity

Slow Progression Rate of Fibrosis in Hepatitis C Virus Patients With Persistently Normal Alanine Transaminase Activity

table 1. Clinical and Biochemical Features

	Patients With Normal ALT	Patients With Elevated ALT

No. of patients	102	102
Age (mean ± SD range)	43.0 ± 13.8 (16-75)	44.0 ± 13.5 (24-74)
Median	40.5 (95% CI: 36-43)	39.0 (95% CI: 37-43)
Age at infection (mean ± SD range)	28.2 ± 13.9 (0-64)	28.9 ± 13 (6-64)
Median	24.0 (95% CI: 21-26)	24.0 (95% CI: 22-26)
No. of males/females	41/61	41/61
Ethnic origin
Northern Europe	73%	78%
Mediterranean	10%	12%
Asia	6%	6%
Africa	11%	4%
Alcohol consumption (g/d), mean ± SD range	16 ± 44 (0-240)	13 ± 40 (0-200)
Duration of infection (yr), mean ± SD range	14.9 ± 7.6 (3-41)	14.1 ± 7.1 (3-36)
Median	14.0 (95% CI: 12-15)	13.0 (10-15)
Drug abusers (%)	32%	31%
Transfusion (%)	35%	40%
Number of ALT dosages, mean ± SD (range)	6.3 ± 3.1 (3-15)	5.5 ± 2.5 (1-20)
ALT (IU/L), mean ± SD (range)^§	24.5 ± 8.9 (7-45)	140 ± 100 (50-494)^*
Median	24 (95% CI: 22-25)	112 (95% CI: 97-124)
GGT (IU/L), mean ± SD (range)	26.4 ± 20.5 (5-112)	79.1 ± 96 (7-434)
Median	20 (95% CI: 16-22)	45 (95% CI: 35-50)
Prothrombin time (% of normal), mean ± SD (range)	96 ± 8.8 (55-100)	95 ± 11 (18-100)
Serum bilirubin (µmol/L), mean ± SD (range)	11.8 ± 6 (3-38)	8.4 ± 2 (5-13)
Cryoglobulinemia	14%	37%
Cholesterol (mmol/L), mean ± SD (range)	5.2 ± 1.3 (2.8-7.9)	4.7 ± 1.1 (1.4-7.8)
Triglyceride (mmol/L), mean ± SD (range)	1.2 ± 0.6 (0.3-2.2)	1 ± 0.4 (0.4-2.4)

*^ P < .0001. P < .0001. P < .02. ^§ Upper limit of normal value was 45 IU/L.**