Laboratory characteristics of recent hepatitis A in Korea: Ongoing epidemiological shift

Table 1 Age distribution and age-specific laboratory findings of Korean hepatitis A cases

	Age (yr)
	≤ 20	21-30	31-40	> 40
n (%)	22 (5.2)	241 (57.5)	132 (31.5)	24 (5.7)
Male:female (ratio)	13:9 (1.4)	141:100 (1.4)	93:39 (2.4)	13:11 (1.2)
Laboratory finding [median (range)]
AST (IU/L)	2130 (105-15 390)	2265 (37-16 330)	2128 (44-15 450)	1661 (19-5980)
ALT (IU/L)	2384 (492-9020)	2601 (15-9820)	2586 (42-12 420)	1988 (11-5530)
ALP (IU/L)	254 (124-711)	201 (41-936)	222 (65-883)	252 (138-527)
GGT (IU/L)	302 (128-781)	345 (8-1195)	411 (37-1705)	479 (29-705)
TB (mg/dL)	5.3 (0.3-11.0)	5.0 (0.3-21.6)	6.1 (0.4-40.2)	5.5 (0.4-17.5)

AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; GGT: γ-glutamyl transpeptidase; TB: Total bilirubin.

Table 2 Comparison of laboratory characteristics according to age (mean ± SD)

	Age (yr)		P value
	≤ 30 (n = 263)	> 30 (n = 156)
Male:female	154:109	106:50	0.061
Laboratory finding
AST (IU/L)	2254 ± 2598	2056 ± 2542	0.450
ALT (IU/L)	2583 ± 1999	2494 ± 2140	0.669
AST/ALT ratio	0.9 ± 1.3	0.8 ± 0.7	0.326
ALP (IU/L)	205.8 ± 109.5	227.1 ± 117.2	0.062
GGT (IU/L)	342 ± 197.9	421 ± 299.6	0.006
TB (mg/dL)	5.0 ± 4.0	6.0 ± 6.0	0.051
Albumin (g/dL)	4.0 ± 0.3	3.8 ± 0.3	0.000
Globulin (g/dL)	2.9 ± 0.4	3.1 ± 0.4	0.012
Leukocyte count (× 109/L)	5.0 ± 1.9	5.6 ± 2.5	0.002
Leukopenia (%)	33.3	20.5	0.003
Platelet count (× 109/L)	169 ± 74	181 ± 75	0.111
Thrombocytopenia (%)	45.6	39.0	0.218
PT (s)	15.1 ± 2.5	15.1 ± 3.3	0.978
Prolonged PT (%)	43.5	38.7	0.356
aPTT (s)	41.7 ± 5.3	41.1 ± 5.6	0.302
Prolonged aPTT (%)	24.0	17.6	0.173
Hospital stay (d)	6.5 ± 4.6	6.7 ± 7.4	0.771

PT: Prothrombin times; aPTT: Activated partial thromboplastin time.