Open AccessLiver function tests in patients with bacteremia
Author(s) -
Kanai Shinichiro,
Honda Takayuki,
Uehara Takeshi,
Matsumoto Takehisa
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of clinical laboratory analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1098-2825
pISSN - 0887-8013
DOI - 10.1002/jcla.20205
Subject(s) - bacteremia , medicine , gastroenterology , alkaline phosphatase , sepsis , odds ratio , albumin , liver function , cholinesterase , liver function tests , serum albumin , biology , enzyme , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , antibiotics
The purpose of this study was to evaluate liver function tests as potential indicators of bacteremia. We examined 156 patients with laboratory‐confirmed bacteremia (bacteremia group) and 211 bacteremia‐negative patients with bacterial infections (control group). The patients of the two groups had no underlying liver diseases. For patients in the bacteremia group, we analyzed liver function tests results obtained the day when the first positive blood culture was ordered. For those in the control group, the same data were obtained on the day when the first of multiple negative blood cultures was ordered. At t ‐test analyses, serum levels of gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase (γ‐GT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly higher, and those of albumin, total cholesterol, and cholinesterase were significantly lower in the bacteremia group than in the control group. Multivariate analyses found serum cholinesterase as an independent factor with adjusted odds ratio of 0.319 (per 65 U/L, standard deviation [SD] size). Serum level of C‐reactive protein (CRP), on the other hand, showed no significant difference between the two groups. Serum levels of γ‐GT, ALP, albumin, total cholesterol, and cholinesterase more rapidly altered when various bacterial infections accompanied bacteremia. Therefore, they may be useful in detecting sepsis in its early stages. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 22:66–69, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.