Revising the reference range of aminotransferases

Aminotransferases as inexpensive and accessible serum markers are highly beneficial in the detection of early-stage damages to hepatocytes. In addition to their use in the primary diagnosis of hepatic diseases, their association with diseases that are growing in prevalence, such as metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases, are taken into consideration. These markers were first used nearly 60 years ago as markers of liver damage, but their use expanded to detect non-A, non-B hepatitis (hepatitis C) in the 1980s. In the late twentieth century, revision of the reference range of aminotransferases by using large groups of blood donors was emphasized and diverse results were obtained. In recent years, these studies have been questioned because they used certain social groups, and extensive studies on the general populations in different regions of the world have begun. However, in different studies, various results were obtained, highlighting the necessity of carrying out further population-based studies in different races. Unfortunately, in Iran, in spite of the increased prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome, no research on reference ranges of aminotransferases has been carried out with generalization capability and control for confounding factors. Thus, performing a study on the reference range of these markers with the mentioned features is recommended.