Typhoid infection and its effect on liver function assessment among pregnant women in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

Typhoid infection and its effect on liver function assessment among pregnant women were evaluated. Serum and blood samples were collected and processed for liver function assessment, widal test and microbiological identification of Salmonella typhi using standard methods. A total of ninety (90) patients were studied. Serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and Serum aspartate transaminase (AST) values for healthy pregnant women and pregnant women with typhoid infection had progressive value increase with increase in pregnancy time, except for the slight reduction in the third trimester with ALT. Mean values of healthy pregnant women and pregnant women with typhoid infection (iu/L) for ALT and AST were (8.93 ±1.07/ 9.95 ±0.19; 7.52 ±0.45/ 8.50 ±0.14) at first trimester, (10.62 ±1.19/11.64 ±0.05; 9.34 ±1.03/ 10.32 ±0.86) at second trimester and (9.81 ±0.16/ 10.83 ±0.76; 10.40 ±0.49/ 11.38 ±0.08) at third trimester, Conversely, total and conjugated bilirubin followed a different trend of retrogressive decrease with increase in pregnancy time. Total and conjugated bilirubin (mg/dL) mean values for healthy pregnant women and pregnant women with typhoid infection at first trimester were (0.56 ±0.87/ 0.69 ±0.09; 0.57 ±0.66/ 0.70 ±0.26), followed by second trimester (0.43 ±1.06/ 0.56 ±0.05; 0.48 ±0.77/ 0.61 ±0.03) and third trimester (0.32 ±0.57/ 0.45 ±0.11; 0.39 ±0.54/ 0.52 ±0.41). Values of LFT results among pregnant women with typhoid infection were higher than that of healthy pregnant women (p<0.05). Therefore, pregnancy alterations and infections could cause significant alterations in the results of LFT among pregnant women.