[Relationship of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) to body weight, age and sex in blood donors population].

The activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is the most popular parameter in hepatology. Increase of ALT usually suggests the damage of hepatocytes. The aim of the study was to assess the range of value of serum alanine aminotransferase in healthy population and to assess the relationship between ALT level and body mass index (BMI), age and gender. We have analyzed a large population of healthy blood donors--all of them were screened for ALT, weight and height. Patients were divided into four groups: I--patients with underweight, II--patients with normal weight, III--patients with overweight, IV--obese patients. In the studied population 862 persons were taken into account (820 men and 42 women), 19-62 years of age. The ALT level varied from 6 to 77 U/L, mean 27.39 U/L. Inadequate BMI was found in 12 persons, normal BMI in 497 persons, overweight in 270 persons and obesity in 83 persons. ALT and BMI are statistically significantly higher in men than in women. In general population and in men group we found correlations between ALT and BMI (p = 0.0000), between ALT and age (p = 0.0000). In women we did not find those dependences. ALT level was statistically significantly higher in groups with higher BMI: ALT level in group II was higher than in group I (p < 0.024), ALT level in group III was higher than in group III (p = 0.0000). We did not find any differences in ALT level between group III and IV. ALT level strongly correlates with body mass, age and gender. We suggest the necessity of taking into consideration those parameters in a clinical interpretation of ALT level.