Liver and Kidney Function Analysis in Hepatitis-B Patients Attending a Health Facility in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria

Author(s): Olu Israel OYEWOLE, Mary Omolayo FAKOKUNDE

Objective: The study was designed to determine changes in liver and kidney function parameters associated with hepatitis B infection among patients attending Nigerian Air Force Hospital (NAFH) Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. Methodology: The study made use of forty subjects (aged 35-50) divided into four groups of ten each (A-male non-hepatitis, B-female non-hepatitis, C-male hepatitis, D-female hepatitis). Serum samples were collected from the hepatitis patients and analyzed for some liver and kidney function parameters in comparism with their non-hepatitis counterparts. Results: There was significant increase in activities of serum enzymes -Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in male and female hepatitis patients compared with their non-hepatitis counterpart. Serum level of total protein was significantly reduced while total bilirubin was significantly elevated in hepatitis patients compared with the control. Measurement of kidney function biomarkers in the serum of hepatitis B infected patients showed elevated concentrations of urea, creatinine and uric acid while serum electrolytes (Na+, K+ and Cl-) were significantly reduced compared with the control. Conclusion: This results indicate that hepatitis B virus infection caused significant disruption of metabolic functions in the liver and kidney of the patients. This research is a further confirmation that other organ such as the kidney are negatively affected in hepatitis infection aside from the liver which is the principal target.

Hepatitis B, liver function, kidney function, aminotransferases, electrolytes

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