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Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of elevated alanine (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in children with rotavirus positive and negative gastroenteritis as well as the average time to normalization of liver enzymes., Methods: Into the study 298 patients with rotavirus positive and 321 patients with rotavirus negative gastroenteritis were enrolled., Results: Mean AST (56.9±2.1 and 40.2±0.9 U/L, respectively, P=0.000) and ALT (33.1±1.7 and 22.4±0.8 U/L, respectively, P=0.000) levels were significantly higher in the rotavirus positive than rotavirus negative patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that rotavirus positivity was significant independent factor for both AST and ALT elevation. Severity of gastroenteritis was another significant independent factor for ALT elevation. The average transaminase normalization time for AST and ALT levels were similar both rotavirus positive and negative groups., Conclusions: Rotavirus positivity and severity of gastroenteritis were independent risk factors for elevated ALT levels in children with gastroenteritis.

Background: There are no studies on clinically significant transaminase elevation due to rotavirus gastroenteritis in the literature. Also, there are significant discrepancies among previous studies regarding the prevalence of increased serum transaminase levels in rotavirus infection., Methods: Patients investigated for rotavirus by stool antigen testing, who were followed between January 2005 and May 2012, were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to their rotavirus results: rotavirus-positive acute gastroenteritis (RPAG) and rotavirus-negative acute gastroenteritis (RNAG) groups., Results: A total of 4317 children who presented with acute gastroenteritis were assessed. The study was completed with 642 patients who met the inclusion criteria. In the RPAG group (n = 272), elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was found in 42 (15.4%) patients and elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in 69 (25.4%), while in the RNAG group (n = 370), these numbers were 25 (6.8%) and 44 (11.9%), respectively. The elevated ALT and AST levels were found to be significantly higher in the RPAG group than in the RNAG group (both p < 0.001). The prevalence of elevated transaminase levels was found to be similar with respect to gastroenteritis severity score (p > 0.05). The high serum transaminase levels normalized uneventfully in all patients in the RPAG and RNAG groups during follow-up., Conclusions: In this study, our results clearly signify a liver influence in rotavirus infections. Therefore, rotavirus infections should be kept in mind when evaluating the aetiology of transaminase elevation in patients with acute gastroenteritis.

Over a 6-week period, 35 (41%) of 86 infants admitted with diarrhea and dehydration were found to have human rotavirus (HRV) gastroenteritis, using the Rotazyme (RTZ) test. Serum transaminase levels were measured on 44 infants on admission and 72 infants during the first 3 days of hospitalization. On admission, RTZ-positive (RTZ+) infants had higher mean and median alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels [mean 87.5 U/L in RTZ+ vs. 50.0 U/L in RTZ-negative (RTZ-), p = 0.001; medium 60 U/L in RTZ+ vs. 41 U/L in RTZ- infants, p = 0.002], and higher mean and median aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels (mean 64.3 U/L in RTZ+ vs. 44.0 U/L in RTZ- infants, p = 0.008; median 67.5 U/L vs. 42.0 U/L, respectively, p = less than 0.05). On admission, 72% of RTZ+ vs. 19% of RTZ- infants had ALT levels greater than 50 U/L (p = 0.0004). Maximum ALT levels from the first 3 days were also higher in the RTZ+ group (67.7% of RTZ+ vs. 34.1% of RTZ- having levels greater than 50 U/L, p = 0.005). Transaminase elevations did not correlate with dehydration of any electrolyte abnormalities. These findings suggest that transaminase elevations are common in infants hospitalized with HRV enteritis.

A child with transient hyperphosphatasaemia of infancy is reported. The syndrome followed rotavirus infection. Reports of transient hyperphosphatasaemia of infancy are reviewed.