Analytical Assessment of Serum Liver Function Test Patterns in Cattle with Fasciolosis at Different Infection Intensities in Taraba State, North East Nigeria

Fasciolosis caused by Fasciola gigantica is a major parasitic disease of cattle in the wet tropics of Nigeria, and its effect on hepatic biochemistry at varying infection intensities remains insufficiently characterised in the North East region. This study conducted an analytical assessment of serum liver function test patterns in Zebu cattle with fasciolosis at different parasite burden levels in Taraba State, North East Nigeria. One hundred and twenty cattle were screened by coproscopy and classified into four groups: non-infected control, light infection (one to ten eggs per gram), moderate infection (eleven to fifty eggs per gram), and heavy infection (above fifty eggs per gram). Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase, glutamate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, total and direct bilirubin, bile acids, and albumin were measured. Gamma-glutamyl transferase demonstrated the most sensitive and stepwise elevation across infection intensities, doubling in the moderate and quadrupling in the heavy infection groups relative to controls. Glutamate dehydrogenase was the most specific indicator of hepatocellular damage in heavy infections. Bile acids were significantly elevated in the moderate and heavy infection groups, indicating biliary involvement. Albumin declined progressively with increasing infection intensity. Receiver operating characteristic analysis confirmed gamma-glutamyl transferase as the superior marker for detecting moderate fasciolosis, with an area under the curve of 0.91. These empirical data support gamma-glutamyl transferase as the primary biochemical surveillance marker for fasciolosis monitoring in North East Nigerian cattle. Keywords: fasciolosis, liver function tests, gamma-glutamyl transferase, Fasciola gigantica, Taraba.