Telomeres are an unusual component of the genome because they do not encode genes, but their structure and cellular maintenance machinery (which we define as "telotype") are essential for chromosome stability. Cells can switch between different phenotypic states. One such example is when they switch from maintenance mediated by telomerase (TERT telotype) to one of the two alternative mechanisms...

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is a sensitive marker of dietary protein utilisation in fish. Three ALT isoforms (cALT1, cALT2 and mALT) encoded by two genes have been isolated from gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). Molecular characterization of ALT isozymes and gene promoters suggest involvement of cALT1 and mALT in postprandial use of dietary amino acids, while cALT2 seems associated to hepa...

hepatitis b, a common infectious disease of liver, is transmitted by blood and body fluids like semen and vaginal fluid that carry hepatitis b virus (hbv).  in chronic infection, medical care is required to decrease possibility of cirrhosis and liver cancer. in the present report, the hepatoprotective effect of an echinacea purpurea preparation (echiherb®) has been described in a patient who su...

CONTEXT Paracetamol (acetaminophen or APAP) is the most common pharmaceutical exposure in the US. Elevations in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels indicate hepatic toxicity. AST and ALT levels rise in similar proportions but later decline at different rates, with AST falling more rapidly than ALT. OBJECTIVE To determine whether the AST/ALT ratio can ind...

BACKGROUND Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is a marker of liver injury. The 2005 American Gastroenterology Association Future Trends Committee report states that serum ALT levels remain constant with age. This study examines the association between serum ALT and age in a community-dwelling cohort in the United States. METHODS A cross-sectional study of 2,364 (54% female) participants age...

Lamivudine belongs to the set of antiviral agents effective against hepatitis B virus infection. Given case reports on liver injuries after certain antiviral agent treatments, this study examined the effects of lamivudine on alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and total bilirubin (TB) using a medical system database. A total of 1,321 patients taking lamivudine alone or with others were evaluated usi...

To understand the mechanisms underlying the discordance between normal serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and significant alterations in liver histology of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with persistent normal ALT (PNALT) or minimally elevated ALT. A total of 300 treatment-naive chronic HBV-infected patients with PNALT (ALT ≤ upper limit of normal [ULN, 40 U/ml]) or minimall...

BACKGROUND The upper normal limit (ULN) of serum alanine-aminotrasferase (ALT) normal range was recently challenged, because patients diagnosed with liver diseases may have 'normal' or near-'normal' ALT levels, and because possible modulators are often ignored in determining normal range. AIM To estimate the ULN for serum ALT and to identify factors modulating it. SUBJECTS AND METHODS We re...

BACKGROUND A certain proportion of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients with persistently normal alanine transaminase (ALT) levels have significant fibrosis. Using liver stiffness measurements (Fibroscan®) and laboratory data, including serum ALT, quantitative HBsAg (qHBsAg), and HBV DNA, we attempted to predict the natural histories of these patients. METHODS Non-cirrhotic HBeAg-negativ...