Transaminases’’ characteristics among consumers of indigenous alcohol ''Lutuku'' and no consumers in Lubumbashi

Abstract

Background: The lack of knowledge of the biochemical processes in the treatment process of Lutuku constitutes a real problem. The study compares the enzymatic activity of transaminases in consumers of native Lutuku alcohol and non-consumers.Methods: This is a case-control study involving 40 Lutuku-consuming and healthy subjects. The enzymatic activities of GOT and GTP were performed using standard clinical chemical methods developed by BIOLAB.Results: The rate of TGO and TGP are 4 to 5 times higher in consumers of Lutuku than in healthy subjects. In the control group, the median TGO/TGP serum ratio was more pronounced in women (0.9667 U/l) than in men (0.88 U/l). Female alcoholics had a serum TGO/TGP ratio of 1, while males had a median ratio of 1.0275. Serum GOT/GTP ratios were correlated with serum GOT in both sex with respectively (r = 0.268 , p < 0.01) in men and (r= 0.499, p < 0.05) in women; and GTP (r = 0.236 , p < 0.01 ) only in men.Conclusion: Consumption of Lutuku induced four to five times more transaminase activities (TGO and TGP) compared to those observed in healthy.