Table I.
Serum liver function tests in study cohort and SCA and HbSC sub-groups
| Serum liver function test | Whole cohort | SCA | HbSC | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albumin (n) NR (35–50 g/l) | 193 | 134 | 49 | |
| Range (mean) | 33 – 48 (43.4) | 33 – 48.1 (43.2) | 35 – 47 (43.7) | N/S |
| Abnormal, n (%) | 2 (1) | 2 (2) | 0 (0) | |
| ALT (n) NR (5 – 55 iu/l) | 164 | 111 | 42 | |
| Range (mean) | 2 – 111 (24.0) | 2 – 65 (22.7) | 9 – 111 (27.1) | N/S |
| Abnormal, n (%) | 3 (1.5) | 1 (1) | 2 (4) | |
| AST (n) NR (10–50 iu/l) | 193 | 134 | 49 | |
| Range (mean) | 17 – 85.5 (37.0) | 21 – 85.5 (40.7) | 17 – 70 (28.6) | <0.0001 |
| Abnormal, n (%) | 30 (16) | 28 (21) | 2 (4) | |
| ALP (n) (NR 20–130 iu/l) | 193 | 134 | 49 | |
| Range (mean) | 26 – 268 (87.8) | 26 – 268 (92.6) | 42 – 139 (71.4) | <0.0001 |
| Abnormal (> 130), n (%) | 18 (9) | 15 (11) | 1 (2) | |
| GGT (n) (NR 1–55 iu/l) | 193 | 134 | 49 | |
| Range (mean) | 3 – 294 (49.6) | 4 – 297 (55.3) | 9 – 145 (35) | <0.002 |
| Abnormal (> 55), n (%) | 54 (28) | 44 (33) | 8 (16) | |
| Conjugated bilirubin (NR <4 μmol/l) | 164 | 114 | 39 | |
| Range (mean) | 2 – 31 (11.0) | 3–31 (12.4) | 2 – 16 (8.2) | <0.0001 |
| Abnormal (> 4), n (%) | 159 (82) | 113 (84) | 36 (73) |
The p value refers to the difference in mean value between the sickle cell anaemia (SCA) and HbSC groups, The (SCA) sub-group includes 133 HbSS and one HbSβ0 thalassaemia patients.
ALP = alkaline phosphatase; ALT = alanine transaminase; AST = aspartate transaminase; GGT = gamma-glutamyl transferase; N/S = not significantNR = normal range; ULN = upper limit of normal.