Healthy Ranges for Alanine Aminotransferase Levels in Adolescents
Author Information
Author(s): Poustchi Hossein, George Jacob, Esmaili Saeed, Esna-Ashari Farzaneh, Ardalan Gelayol, Sepanlou Sadaf Ghajarieh, Alavian Seyed Moayed
Primary Institution: Digestive Disease Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
Hypothesis
The study aimed to define age and gender-specific upper limits of normal for serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in healthy children.
Conclusion
The study established normal limits for ALT in children and adolescents, which should be used for further investigation of those with persistent elevations.
Supporting Evidence
- Median serum ALT levels were 16 IU/L for boys and 13 IU/L for girls.
- The upper limits of normal for ALT were found to be 30 IU/L for boys and 21 IU/L for girls.
- Significant correlations were found between ALT values and measures of BMI, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.
Takeaway
This study found out how much alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is normal for kids and teens, helping doctors know when to check for liver problems.
Methodology
The study used a stratified multistage random sampling design to select school children aged 7-18 years and measured their serum ALT levels along with various health parameters.
Potential Biases
The study may have selection bias as it excluded participants with abnormal health parameters.
Limitations
The study had less than the recommended sample size in some age categories for girls and could not stratify by pubertal stages due to ethical concerns.
Participant Demographics
The study included 975 school children aged 7-18 years, with a healthy population of 371 subjects (186 boys and 185 girls) defined for analysis.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
CI 1.4–3.56 for boys and CI 1.16–2.8 for girls regarding waist/hip ratio as a predictor of elevated ALT.
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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