Profile of Liver Function Test in Patients with Dengue Infection

Background: Atypical manifestations of dengue infection with liver involvement have frequently been reported, ranging from mild elevations of aminotransferase levels to fulminant hepatitis. Materials and Methods: An analysis of 27 serologically confirmed cases of dengue infection at our tertiary care hospital was made. Patients with normal aminotransferase levels were categorized into Grade A, those with at least one of the enzymes raised to less than 3 times the reference range as Grade B, those with at least one of the enzymes elevated more than 3 times but less than 10 times as Grade C and those with elevations more than 10 times as Grade D. Results: 89% of the cases had alterations in the aminotransferase levels, with 37% categorized into Grade B, 30% into GradeC, and 22% as Grade D or acute hepatitis (P < 0.001). Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were higher compared to the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (mean: 390.7 U/l and 296.9 U/l, respectively). Conclusion: Liver damage with alteration of aminotransferases is a common complication of dengue infection and valuable marker for monitoring these patients.