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Alanine aminotransferase levels in Hispanics
O D Carter-Pokras1, M F Najjar, B F Billhymer
1Office of Minority Health, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Ethnicity & Disease
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Single alanine aminotransferase (ALT) cutoffs for blood donor screening may disproportionately reject Hispanic donors. ALT elevations are confirmed in Hispanic populations, necessitating cautious interpretation of results in blood donation screening.
Area of Science:
- Transfusion Medicine
- Hepatology
- Public Health
Background:
- Screening blood donors for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels is crucial for preventing posttransfusion viral hepatitis.
- Current single, system-wide ALT cutoffs may lead to inappropriate rejection of certain donor groups.
- Previous observations indicate higher rejection rates for male and Hispanic blood donors based solely on ALT levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and confirm elevated serum ALT levels in general population samples of Hispanic individuals.
- To evaluate the appropriateness of current ALT cutoffs for blood donor screening across diverse populations.
- To inform cautious interpretation of ALT results for Hispanic blood donors.
Main Methods:
- Utilized serum ALT measurements from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES).
- Analyzed ALT data within general population samples of Mexican Americans, Cubans, and Puerto Ricans.
- Compared observed ALT levels against established screening cutoffs.
Main Results:
- Confirmed higher serum ALT levels in general population samples of Hispanic individuals (Mexican Americans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans).
- These findings support the observation of disproportionately higher rejection rates for Hispanic blood donors based on ALT.
- The study highlights potential inequities in current blood donor screening protocols.
Conclusions:
- Current single ALT cutoffs for blood donor screening may not be equitable across all demographic groups, particularly impacting Hispanic populations.
- Health personnel must exercise caution when interpreting elevated ALT levels in Hispanic individuals due to population-specific variations.
- Further research into more specific hepatitis viral infection tests is needed, but ALT screening will likely continue, requiring refined interpretation strategies.