Liver enzymes

Question 1

ALT (alanine aminotransferase)

Answer 1

(10-40 U/L); elevates in liver damage and inflammation (normal finding: male -10-40 U/ml; female 8-35 U/ml) (most definitive) Used to differentiate between jaundice caused by liver diseases (often >300U/L) and causes outside the liver

Question 2

AST (aspartate aminotransferase )

Answer 2

10-30 U/L); originates heart, liver, skeletal muscle, and kidney - not specific to liver disease but elevates in liver damage and inflammation (normal finding: male 10-40 U/L; female 15-30 U/L. This enzyme is found in high concentration within highly metabolic tissue (heart, liver, skeletal).

Question 3

Total Bilirubin

Answer 3

Total bilirubin 3.1 (0.3-1.0 mg/dL) – conjugated + unconjugated bilirubin in the body, A high bilirubin value is an indicator that there is an obstruction in the common bile duct.

Question 4

Direct Bilirubin

Answer 4

(0.1 - 0.4 mg/dL) also known as the conjugated bilirubin – direct is converted in the liver from an indirect to a direct bilirubin

Question 5

Indirect Bilirubin

Answer 5

(0.1 - 0.4 mg/dL) also known as the unconjugated bilirubin – found in the bloodstream and moves to the liver where it is converted to a direct bilirubin.

Question 6

ALP (Alkaline Phosphatase)

Answer 6

50-120 UL; originates from bone and liver; in absence of bone disease, levels rise in obstruction of biliary tract

Question 7

Amylase

Answer 7

30-125 U/L

Question 8

Lipase

Answer 8

30-185 U/L

Question 9

Serum Ammonia

Answer 9

15-45mcg/dl – Measures the ability of the liver to convert ammonia (NH3) to urea; NH3 formed from deamination of amino acids by action of bacteria on proteins in colon

Question 10

Alpha Fetoprotein

Answer 10

Indicates hepatic cancer (Normal finding

Question 11

G-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)

Answer 11

present in biliary tract; increases in hepatitis and alcoholic liver disease (normal finding: males 20-30 U/L; females 1-24 U/L (more sensitive than ALP)