Evaluating Glutamate-pyruvate transaminase and Glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase in tuberculosis patients

Abstract

Tuberculosis is one of the most widespread infectious diseases worldwide and remains a major public health concern. It is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which primarily affects the respiratory system but may also involve other organs. Tuberculosis treatment mainly relies on a combination of anti-tuberculosis drugs administered regularly over a defined period. However, these medications may cause adverse effects, rticularly hepatotoxicity, which can negatively affect treatment outcomes. In this context, an analytical study was conducted on the clinical data of 521 tuberculosis patients recruited from four public health institutions in Mila Province: Ain Beida Harriche, Mila, Ferdjioua, and Chelghoum Laïd. The results showed that tuberculosis was more frequent among women than men, and that lymph node tuberculosis was the most common form among extrapulmonary cases. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis accounted for the majority of cases, and differences in infection rates were observed among age groups, with young adults being the most affected category. In addition, a considerable proportion of patients presented with chronic comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus.Regarding liver enzyme levels, most patients maintained normal ALT and AST values throughout treatment. Mild and transient elevations were the most common abnormalities, suggesting hepatic adaptation rather than clinically significant liver injury. Temporal analysis showed that both enzymes increased during the intensive phase of treatment, reached their peak around the third month, and then gradually declined. Significant variations in enzyme levels were observed among patients who successfully completed treatment, whereas irregular patterns were more common in patients with unfavorable treatment outcomes.In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of regular monitoring of liver function during anti-tuberculosis therapy, especially during the first three months and in patients with comorbidities. Such onitoring may contribute to the early detection of hepatic complications and improve treatment effectiveness in Algeria.