The SGOT/SGPT ratio?An indicator of alcoholic liver disease

Abstract
The SGOT/SGPT ratio is significantly elevated in patients with alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis (2.85±0.2) compared with patients with postnecrotic cirrhosis (1.74±0.2), chronic hepatitis (1.3±0.17), obstructive jaundice (0.81±0.06) and viral hepatitis (0.74 ±0.07). An SGOT/SGPT ratio greater than 2 is highly suggestive of alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. It occurs in 70% of these patients compared with 26% of patients with postnecrotic cirrhosis, 8% with chronic hepatitis, 4% with viral hepatitis and none with obstructive jaundice.