Objectives: To investigate the changes of liver function during the course of serious acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and to explore its possible influence factors.
Methods: There were 91 patients with common SARS, and 23 patients with severe SARS, and 61 common pneumonia patients served as the controls. The liver functions of all the patients were measured.
Results: The rate of anomaly liver function in the common SARS patients group was 68.1%, which was higher than that in the common pneumonia patients group (24.6%), chi2=27.7, P<0.01. The changes mainly existed in the mild to moderate elevation of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase. The severe SARS patients were older and the changing rate of liver function was as high as 95.7%.
Conclusions: The damage possibility of liver function in SARS patients is higher than that in common pneumonia patients. The damage is light and related to SARS itself. The damage of liver function in the severe SARS patients may have close relationship with age.