Correlation between serum Hcy level and severity of chronic HBV hepatitis

Objective The aim of this work was to investigate the serum homocysteine (Hcy) level and severity of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Methods 72 patients with chronic HBV and 28 healthy controls were included in this work. Of the included 72 chronic HBV hepatitis patients, 20 patients had mild disease, 31 had moderate disease and 21 had severe disease. The serum homocysteine (Hcy), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total bilirubin (TBIL) were examined in both HBV hepatitis and control patients. Results Significant statistical difference was observed for serum Hcy, ALT, AST and TBIL in different groups (p<0.05). The serum Hcy, ALT, AST and TBIL in the severe group were significantly higher than those of other groups with statistical difference (p<0.05); significant correlation was observed between serum Hcy and AST in the moderate (r=0.43, p<0.05) and severe disease groups (r=0.63, p<0.05). However, the correlation between Hcy and ALT, and Hcy and TBIL were not statistically significant in any group (p>0.05). Conclusion The serum Hcy level in patients with hepatitis B reflects the damage to the of liver. The continuous increase of serum Hcy level can be regarded as a risk factor for the progression of hepatitis, and it can be used as serological marker for clinical diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.