Liver enzyme abnormalities in spinal cord injury.

A retrospective study of serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (SGOT) was performed on eighteen previously healthy patients with acute spinal cord lesions C1 to L1 and no abdominal trauma. The SGPT rose in 13 of the 17 (76%). The SGOT rose in 8 of the 17 (47%). The SGPT and SGOT values for the entire group were significantly elevated over the upper limits of normal (p less than 0.01). The mean and median days of onset of elevated SGPT after trauma were 22 and 18, respectively. The mean and median days to normalization after trauma were 67 and 64. The mean and median days of onset of elevated SGOT were 26 and 19 respectively. The mean and median days to normalization were 42 and 43. The alkaline phosphatase were elevated in all but eight patients. The bilirubin was elevated in only three patients. Seventy-six percent of the quadriplegics and 60% of the paraplegics had elevated transaminases. The elevations are probably related to liver injury but the mechanism is unclear.