Clinical value of the determination of serum guanase activity in patients with chronic hepatitis type C.

The study examines the clinical significance of guanase (GU) measurement in patients with hepatitis C. 688 patients in whom either ALT was abnormal, or in whom HBsAg or HCVAb was detected in the serum, were enrolled into this study. The percentage of cases in which normal ALT while elevated GU was compared among the different disease groups. Then, the percentage of cases with normal ALT but elevated GU was compared between HBV and HCV groups. For the entire population, a significant correlation was observed between ALT and GU (r=0.872). The overall percentage of cases with normal ALT but elevated GU activity was 11.4%. In HCV group, 449 cases had normal ALT. Of these cases, 20.3% had elevated GU, while ALT was normal. Before 1989, no test to check donated blood for HCV antibody was available. However, screening of donated blood for high GU was associated with a reduced incidence of post-transfusion hepatitis. This is probably because following the screening, blood donated by patients with hepatitis C who had normal ALT but elevated GU was rejected. After the introduction of HCV antibody measurement, GU measurement is still useful to reveal the pathophysiological condition in-patients with chronic hepatitis type C.