OBJECTIVETo evaluate the relationship between changes and clinical significance of serum glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and the degree of liver lesions in chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

METHODSExaminations of serum ALT, AST, GGT levels and liver biopsy were carried out and classification and staging of liver fibrosis and inflammation were performed for 70 patients with CHB. The relationship between ALT, AST, GGT and CHB was analyzed.

RESULTS(1) ALT, AST and GGT increased with the degree of inflammation and fibrosis, but their levels declined with the degree of G4 and S4. The correlation coefficients of ALT and GGT, AST and GGT were (0.322 and 0.328, P less than 0.05). With liver-protective treatment, in the cases with mild CHB, ALT was normalized quickly but GGT remained at a lower level. While ALT declined, GGT was still at a relatively high level for moderate and severe CHB cases, among them the level of GGT fluctuated.

CONCLUSIONSerum GGT reflects the degree of liver inflammation more accurately than ALT and AST do and GGT activity can provide important evidence for clinical assessment of chronic hepatitis B.