THE DIAGNOSTIC, PROGNOSTIC AND EPIDEMIOLOGIC SIGNIFICANCE OF SERUM GLUTAMIC OXALOACETIC TRANSAMINASE (SGO-T) ALTERATIONS IN ACUTE HEPATITIS

Abstract

Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase alteration is a sensitive and roughly proportional index of hepatocellular injury during acute hepatitis of various etiologic types. Acute and chronic hepatic disease is associated with quantitative and serial elevations of SGO-T activity which are sufficiently characteristic to permit diagnostic differentiation. The subjective and objective clinical course of patients with acute hepatitis appears to be accurately reflected in serial SGO-T alterations. Relapses, exacerbations, chronicity, premature ambulation and unrelated superimposed complications in patients with acute hepatitis are usually evidenced by variations from the usual pattern of serial SGO-T changes. The SGO-T changes seen in the prodromal phase of hepatitis and in individuals with asymptomatic and/or subicteric types of acute hepatitis permit a better understanding of the epidemiologic course of this disease. The epidemiologic observations presented suggest additional methods for the management of infectious hepatitis in endemic and epidemic situations.