Enhanced Serum Oxalacetic Transaminase Activity of Mitochondrial Origin in Chronic Alcoholics

In order to clarify the origin from which increased serum GOT in chronic alcoholics derives, serum mitochondrial GOT (m-GOT) and other conventional serum enzyme activity was measured. Sixty percent of chronic alcoholics (n=63) showed elevated GOT levels, whereas GPT, γ-GTP, CPK and Al-Pase activity were increased in 43, 67, 7 and 51% respectively. M-GOT was separated by using DEAE Sephadex columnchromatography and measured by UV-assay system. M-GOT activity in healthy controls (n=15) was 1.8±o.6 U. (Mean±SEM), whereas cirrhotics (LC: 12.5±1.3U.), in 21 cases of chronic hepatitis (CH: 9.9±l.2U) and in 9 cases of acute hepatitis (AH: 25.4±4.2U.). Moreover, when m-GOT was expressed as m-GOT/GOT ratio in patients with total GOT values being more than 50 U., the increased m-GOT activity in chronic alcoholics became more striking, that is 19.3±2.3% in chronic alcoholics (n=21), 14.2±1.7% in LC (n=17), 12.2±2.0% in CH (n=13) and 5.3±1.0% in AH (n=9). In chronic alcoholics there were no significant correlations between the activity of m-GOT vs. CPK and m-GOT vs.γ-GTP respectively. In the present study, we have shown that m-GOT/GOT ratio was higher in chronic alcoholics followed by LC, CH and AH. These results suggest that increased m-GOT activity in chronic alcoholics may reflect, at least in part, mitochondrial injury of hepatocytes by ethanol.