The significance of transaminase ratio (AST/ALT) in acute myocardial infarction

Arch Med Sci Atheroscler Dis. 2020 Dec 26:5:e279-e283. doi: 10.5114/amsad.2020.103028. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Introduction: Fernando De Ritis described the significance of the transaminase (AST/ALT) ratio in 1957, and since then it has been commonly used to screen liver diseases. The liver is sensitive to hemodynamic changes because it receives approximately one-quarter of total cardiac output. We aimed to investigate the AST/ALT ratio changes in patients with acute myocardial infarction without any history of liver diseases in the Chinese Han population.

Material and methods: We analyzed a total of 120 patients with acute myocardial infarction admitted to the cardiology department of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University between January 2019 and June 2019. AST/ALT ratio of the first blood test was calculated for all patients.

Results: The mean De Ritis ratio (AST/ALT) was higher in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (3.2261 ±2.41379) than in non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) (2.2089 ±1.63177) patients. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.002).

Conclusions: AST/ALT ≥ 2.0 has a strong association with total coronary occlusion. We might rely on this test to predict coronary occlusion without age difference.

Keywords: De Ritis ratio (AST/ALT); ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction; acute myocardial infarction; non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.