Blood Levels of Glutamine and Nitrotyrosine in Patients with Chronic Viral Hepatitis

Figures & data

Table 1 Participants’ Demographic Data and Liver Function Tests of NC, HBV, HBV-Treated (HBVT), HCV, and HCV-Treated (HCVT) Groups (n = 250)

	NC	HBV	HBVT	HCV	HCVT
Gender (M/F)	163/87 (65.2/34.8%)	160/90 (60/40%)	153/97 (61.2/38.8%)	147/103 (58.8/41.2%)	155/95 (62/38%)
Age (years)	48.83 ± 0.74	48.72 ± 0.75	49.01 ± 0.74	47.89 ± 0.86	49.01 ± 0.74
TP (g/L)	78.55 ± 0.37	80.14 ± 0.31	75.37 ± 0.48*	77.00 ± 0.29	73.64 ± 0.57*
Albumin (g/L)	46.60 ± 0.24	43.64 ± 0.18	39.86 ± 0.34*	41.47 ± 0.23	36.46 ± 0.33*
ALP (U/L)	52.18 ± 0.79	81.11 ± 0.98	59.01 ± 1.03*	105.98 ± 0.73	65.72 ± 1.14*
AST (U/L)	24.26 ± 0.27	86.31 ± 1.68	27.89 ± 0.44^^	50.70 ± 2.78	23.64 ± 0.22^^
ALT (U/L)	33.50 ± 0.23	224.88 ± 19.94	37.32 ± 0.50^^	87.56 ± 3.80	33.32 ± 0.50^^
GGT (U/L)	25.29 ± 0.14	101.49 ± 1.88	32.14 ± 0.94^#, $	114.07 ± 1.62	34.50 ± 0.56^$
TB (µmol/L)	5.28 ± 0.10	11.94 ± 0.15	6.81 ± 0.09*	16.78 ± 0.43	7.97 ± 0.06*
AST/ALT ratio	0.73 ± 0.01	0.67 ± 0.02	0.76 ± 0.01^^	0.62 ± 0.01	0.74 ± 0.01^^

Notes: Data were expressed as Mean ± SEM. For total proteins (TP), albumin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin (TB): *P < 0.001: HBVT, HCVT vs NC and HBVT vs HBV and HCVT vs HCV. For aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and AST/ALT ratio: ^{^}P < 0.001: HBVT vs HBV and HCVT vs HCV. For γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT): ^#P < 0.01 (= 0.001): HBVT vs NC. ^$P < 0.001: HCVT vs NC and HBVT vs HBV and HCVT vs HCV.

Table 2 Coefficient of Determination (R²) Values of Linear Regression Analysis between Demographic Data and Liver Function Tests as Predictor Variables and Blood Glutamine (GLN) or Nitrotyrosine (NT) Levels (ng/mL) as Dependent Variables in HBV, HBV-Treated (HBVT), HCV, and HCV-Treated (HCVT) Groups (n = 250)

		HBV		HBVT		HCV		HCVT
Model	Predictor	GLU	NT	GLU	NT	GLU	NT	GLU	NT
1	Gender	0.000	0.000	0.004	0.004	0.010	0.020	0.022	0.009
2	Age	0.010	0.002	0.007	0.004	0.020	0.020	0.022	0.009
3	Albumin	0.013	0.002	0.009	0.006	0.103	0.094	0.037	0.017
4	ALP	0.014	0.011	0.033	0.087	0.129	0.094	0.041	0.019
5	AST	0.016	0.011	0.035	0.088	0.129	0.117	0.046	0.022
6	ALT	0.018	0.031	0.040	0.091	0.168	0.131	0.047	0.032
7	GGT	0.033	0.040	0.041	0.095	0.171	0.137	0.056	0.033
8	TB	0.044	0.047	0.048	0.099	0.206	0.166	0.075	0.033

Table 3 Levels of Glutamine and Nitrotyrosine (ng/mL) in NC, HBV, HBV-Treated (HBVT), HCV, and HCV-Treated (HCVT) Groups (n = 250)

Glutamine					Nitrotyrosine
NC	HBV	HBVT	HCV	HCVT	NC	HBV	HBVT	HCV	HCVT
4.03 ± 0.10	9.07 ± 0.14*	8.74 ± 0.10*	9.00 ± 0.12*	8.98 ± 0.14*	70.39 ± 1.76	178.85 ± 3.89*	169.56 ± 3.61*	175.14 ± 4.37*	167.32 ± 3.26*

Note: Data were expressed as Mean ± SEM. *P < 0.001 vs NC.

Table 4 Values of Spearman Correlation Coefficient (Rho), Area Under Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) Curve, Cutoff, Sensitivity (%), Specificity (%), Eigenvalue, and Canonical Correlations between Glutamine (GLN) and Nitrotyrosine (NT) Levels and the HBV DNA Test Positivity in HBV and HBV-Treated (HBVT), and HCV RNA Test Positivity in HCV and and HCV-Treated (HCVT) Groups (n = 250)

Group	Rho	AUROC	Cutoff	Sensitivity	Specificity	Eigenvalue	Canonical Correlation
HBV-GLN	0.816*	0.971*	6.560	97.20	93.20	1. 668	0.791
HBV-NT	0.705*	0.907*	128.150	83.60	94.00	1.296	0.751
HBVT-GLN	0.824*	0.975*	6.335	100.00	92.40	2. 264	0.833
HBVT-NT	0.700*	0.904*	115.900	83.60	100.40	1.226	0.742
HCV-GLN	0.819*	0.971*	6.680	80.80	93.20	2.044	0.819
HCV-NT	0.700*	0.903*	128.150	73.60	94.00	0.994	0.706
HCVT-GLN	0.824*	0.974*	6.405	94.40	92.40	1.680	0.792
HCVT-NT	0.748*	0.932*	116.260	86.00	89.60	1.374	0.761

Note: *P < 0.001.

Figure 1 The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for glutamine (GLN) and nitrotyrosine (NT) detection of HBV infection according to positive DNA testing in the patient groups: (A) GLU-HBV, (B) NT-HBV, (C) GLU-HBVT, and (D) NT-HBVT.

Figure 2 The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for glutamine (GLN) and nitrotyrosine (NT) detection of HCV infection according to positive RNA testing in the patient groups: (A) GLU-HCV, (B) NT-HCV, (C) GLU-HCVT, and (D) NT-HCVT.

Table 5 Correlation Coefficient (r) Values of Pearson Correlation Analysis between Viral Load (VL, KIU/mL) and GLN or NT Levels (ng/mL) in HBV, HBV-Treated (HBVT), HCV, and HCV-Treated (HCVT) Groups (n = 250)

HBV			HBVT			HCV			HCVT
VL	GLN	NT	VL	GLN	NT	VL	GLN	NT	VL	GLN	NT
23.76 ± 1.93	− 0.068	− 0.045	0.08 ± 0.01*	0.098	−0.060	923.37 ± 27.74	− 0.062	0.007	0.13 ± 0.05*	0.108	− 0.032

Notes: Data were expressed as Mean ± SD. *P < 0.001: VL level in HBVT vs HBV and in HCVT vs HCV.

Table 6 Correlation Coefficient (r) Values of Pearson Correlation Analysis between HBsAg Levels (Log10 IU/mL) and GLN or NT Levels (ng/mL) in HBV and HBV-Treated (HBVT) Groups (n = 250)

HBV			HBVT
HBsAg	GLN	NT	HBsAg	GLN	NT
6.47 ± 0.89	− 0.016	− 0.049	4.02 ± 0.43*	0.076	− 0.040

Notes: Data were expressed as Mean ± SD. *P < 0.001: HBsAg level in HBVT vs HBV.