New aspects of liver abnormalities as part of the systemic mast cell activation syndrome.

Background/aims: This study was aimed at investigating the form and prevalence of liver involvement in patients with systemic mast cell activation syndrome, a possibly common subvariant of systemic mastocytosis. An attempt was made to shed light on potential mechanisms responsible for mast cell mediator-related liver abnormalities.

Methods: The methods used were clinical investigation, biochemical determination of cholesterol, transaminases and bilirubin in blood, determination of chitotriosidase by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique, and quantitative reverse transcribed-polymerase chain reaction to determine chitotriosidase expression.