Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24633141›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2014

Complex association between alanine aminotransferase activity and mortality in general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies.

Zhengtao Liu, Huaijun Ning, Shuping Que, Linlin Wang, Xue Qin, Tao Peng

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed
3.0field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

27 citing papers in PubMed, 52 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
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  3. Liver, ageing and disease.Nature reviews. Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Zhengtao LiuDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China; National Center for International Research of Biological Targeting Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Huaijun NingDepartment of Pediatrics, Women and children's hospital of Guangxi, Nanning, China.
Shuping QueDepartment of Pediatrics, Women and children's hospital of Guangxi, Nanning, China; Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Linlin WangDepartment of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Xue QinClinical Laboratory Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Tao PengDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis and Therapy Research, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Guangxi Medical University · CNGuangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital · CNFirst Affiliated Hospital of GuangXi Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveControversy exists in using alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity for predicting long-term survival. Therefore, this research study investigated the association between ALT activity and mortality through a systematic review and meta-analysis of previous prospective studies.

methodsElectronic literature databases, including PubMed, Embase, and the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), were searched for relevant prospective observational studies (published before Dec 30, 2013) on the association between baseline ALT activity and ensuing all-cause/disease-specific mortality. Information on nationality, sample size, participant characteristics, follow-up duration, comparison, outcome assessment, hazard ratios (HRs) and adjusted covariates was extracted. Pooled HRs and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were separately calculated for categorical risk estimates (highest vs. lowest ALT categories) and continuous risk estimates (per 5 U/l of ALT increment) in subgroups separated by age (<70/≥ 70 years).

resultsA total of twelve prospective cohort studies, totaling 206,678 participants and 16,249 deaths, were identified and analyzed. In the younger age group, the pooled HR for mortality related to liver-disease was about 1.24 (95% CI: 1.23-1.25) per 5 U/l of ALT increment. The dose-response HRs of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular (CV) disease-related mortality, and cancer-related mortality were 0.91 (0.88-0.94), 0.91 (0.85-0.96), 0.92 (0.86-0.98) respectively per 5 U/l of ALT elevation, with insignificant heterogeneity in the older population. There was an approximate decrease of 4‰ observed on HRs of all-cause, CV-related, and cancer-related mortality followed with one year's increment through meta-regression (all P<0.05).

conclusionsThe ALT-mortality association was inconsistent and seems particularly susceptible to age after synthesizing the previous prospective studies. In terms of the age, ALT activity was more valuable in predicting mortality in the older population; extremely low ALT levels indicated a higher all-cause, CV-related, and cancer-related mortality. ALT activity may therefore be a useful biomarker when predicting the long-term survival of elderly patients.

Indexed as

MortalityPopulation SurveillanceAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAge FactorsAlanine TransaminaseFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProportional Hazards ModelsPublication BiasAlanine Transaminase

Identifiers

PMID24633141
PMCPMC3954728
OpenAlexW1997670772

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.