Relationship between serum alanine aminotransferase levels and liver histology in chronic hepatitis C-infected patients.

Background: The efficacy of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in predicting the severity of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is unclear.

Objective: To compare histologic scoring of liver pathology in patients with chronic HCV infection with normal or elevated serum ALT.

Methods: Liver biopsies were performed in patients with HCV infection and either normal (n=40) or elevated (n=76) serum ALT levels, and scored for activity and fibrosis using the modified histological activity index.