{
  "abstract": "Objectives: Hypertransaminasemia is a frequent finding in hospitalized children with common pediatric illnesses, often considered a transitory phenomenon associated with systemic inflammation/injury. This study aims to assess the prevalence and causes of incidentally detected hypertransaminasemia in children admitted to general pediatric units for non‐chronic liver‐related illnesses.\n\nMethods: This is a prospective, multicenter observational study. Children with transaminase measurement at hospital admission were enrolled from June 2021 to July 2023. Inclusion criteria were: Age >30 days to 17 years; hospitalization for any clinical condition; Informed consent. Patients with a previous diagnosis of liver disease were excluded.\n\nResults: A total of 1652 patients (1 month to 17 years) were enrolled in nine Italian pediatric hospital centers. Overall, the prevalence of hypertransaminasemia was 34.4% (n = 570). The majority had mild to moderate liver enzymes elevation. Positive correlation were found between aspartate aminotransferase and creatin P‐kinase (CPK), body mass index z‐score and cholesterol. At discharge, 298 of the 570 re‐tested transaminases: 21.4% (64/298) had persistent combined elevation, 13.8% (41/298) isolated alanine aminotransferase, and 37.6% (112/298) isolated elevation. Only 5.70% of the patients (n = 30) with elevated transaminase levels (n = 526) were eventually diagnosed with liver disease at discharge, whereas the majority of patients (19.9%, n = 105) received a diagnosis of pneumonia/bronchitis/upper respiratory tract infection, followed by unspecified infections (10.6%, n = 56).\n\nConclusions: Hypertransaminasemia is common in children admitted to the general pediatric units, affecting approximately 35% of patients. Liver‐related discharge diagnoses were uncommon among children with elevated transaminases (5.70%), whereas most cases occurred in the setting of acute non‐hepatic illnesses. Children with persistently elevated transaminases at discharge should be followed to rule out chronic liver disease.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Paediatric Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Transplantation, Hospital Papa Giovanni XXIII University of Udine Palermo Italy",
    "Pediatric Department IRCCS ISMETT (Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad alta specializzazione) Palermo Italy",
    "UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) Italy Palermo Italy",
    "Department of Translational Medical Science, Section of Pediatrics University of Naples “Federico II” Naples Italy",
    "University of Salerno Fisciano Italy",
    "Epidemiology and Biostatistics Santobono‐Pausilipon Pediatric Hospital Naples Italy",
    "General Paediatric Department Hospital Papa Giovanni XXIII Bergamo Italy",
    "Pediatric Gastroenterology Unit Maggiore Hospital Bologna Italy",
    "Pediatric Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, University Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Spedali Civili Brescia Italy",
    "Pediatria ‐ IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza San Giovanni Rotondo Foggia Italy",
    "Pediatric Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini Genoa Italy",
    "Pediatric Unit Sant'Eugenio Hospital Rome Italy",
    "General and Emergency Pediatric Unit ‐ “Pietro Barilla” Children Hospital Parma Italy",
    "Department of Health Sciences, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS University of Florence Florence Italy",
    "Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, Pediatrics Section University of Salerno Salerno Italy",
    "Pediatric Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Transplantation Hospital Papa Giovanni XXIII Bergamo Italy",
    "Department of Medicine and Surgery University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan Italy",
    "Pediatric Chronic Disease, Hepatology and Nutrition Santobono‐Pausilipon Pediatric Hospital, IRCCS Naples Italy"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 22,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Angelo Di Giorgio"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Giusy Ranucci"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Pietro Aliberti",
      "orcid": "0009-0008-3258-2769"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Carmela Pia Senatore"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Camilla Calì"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Angelo Mazza"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Francesca Sbravati"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Patrizia Alvisi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8
      ],
      "name": "Maurizio Giuseppe Fuoti"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8
      ],
      "name": "Ilaria Rochira"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Antonio Marseglia"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Maria Rosa Pastore"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10
      ],
      "name": "Annalisa Madeo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10
      ],
      "name": "Alessandro La Rosa"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        11
      ],
      "name": "Federica Ferrari"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        11
      ],
      "name": "Fortunata Sabrina Civitelli"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        12
      ],
      "name": "Valentina Maffini"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        12
      ],
      "name": "Icilio Dodi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        13
      ],
      "name": "Serena della Femina"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        14
      ],
      "name": "Andrea Colangelo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        15,
        16
      ],
      "name": "Lorenzo D'Antiga"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        14,
        17
      ],
      "name": "Claudia Mandato"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5gr3s5a8d927v.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1002/jpn3.70540",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13736150/",
  "id": "5gr3s5a8d927v",
  "issns": [
    "0277-2116",
    "1536-4801"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1002/jpn3.70540",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Hepatology"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Original Article"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2721|Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7203780753",
  "pdf_url": "https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/jpn3.70540",
  "pmcid": "PMC13736150",
  "pmid": "42613846",
  "published": "2026-08-18",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5gr3s5a8d927v.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-09T12:21:40Z",
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2721|Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Hypertransaminasemia in hospitalized children: Insights from a national multicenter study by the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition",
  "title_text": "Hypertransaminasemia in hospitalized children: Insights from a national multicenter study by the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T12:21:40Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5gr3s5a8d927v",
  "venue": "Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition",
  "versions": []
}