Changes in liver enzymes after surgery in anti-hepatitis C virus-positive patients

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Surgical Gastroenterology
• Clinical Biochemistry

Background:

• Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can affect liver function.
• Surgical procedures may influence liver enzyme levels.
• Assessing postoperative liver enzyme changes in HCV-positive patients is important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of surgical intervention on liver enzymes in patients with HCV antibodies.
• To identify specific liver enzyme alterations associated with surgery in HCV-positive individuals.
• To determine the utility of liver enzyme monitoring for post-surgical liver function assessment in this cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 623 patients undergoing laparotomy.
• Inclusion of 39 patients positive for HCV antibodies.
• Measurement of serum liver enzymes: AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, and ChE.
• HCV antibody detection using ELISA.
• Statistical analysis including multivariate logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Postoperative AST and ALP levels were significantly higher in the anti-HCV-positive group compared to the anti-HCV-negative group (p < 0.05).
• Postoperative ChE levels decreased significantly more in the anti-HCV-positive group (p < 0.02), with significantly greater ChE ratio decreases (p < 0.0001).
• HCV antibody positivity was independently associated with abnormal ALT and ALP levels (p = 0.035 and 0.018, respectively).

Conclusions:

• Surgical intervention leads to significant, distinct changes in liver enzymes in patients with HCV antibodies.
• Elevated AST, ALP, and decreased ChE are notable postoperative findings in HCV-positive patients.
• Monitoring ChE, ALT, and ALP is recommended for evaluating post-surgical liver function in anti-HCV-positive patients.