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Liver function tests (LFTs or LFs), also referred to as a hepatic panel or liver panel, are groups of blood tests that provide information about the state of a patient's liver. [1] These tests include prothrombin time (PT/INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), albumin , bilirubin (direct and indirect), and others.
In medicine, the presence of elevated transaminases, commonly the transaminases alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), may be an indicator of liver dysfunction. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Other terms include transaminasemia , [ 3 ] and elevated liver enzymes (though they are not the only enzymes in the liver).
The proportion of AST to ALT in hepatocytes is about 2.5:1, but because AST is removed from serum by the liver sinusoidal cells twice as quickly (serum half-life t 1/2 = 18 hr) compared to ALT (t 1/2 = 36 hr), so the resulting serum levels of AST and ALT are about equal in healthy individuals, resulting in a normal AST/ALT ratio around 1.
Indeed, also using the old NAFLD definition, the disease is observed in up to 80% of obese people, 35% of whom progress to NASH, [41] and in up to 20% of normal weight people, [10] despite no evidence of excessive alcohol consumption. FLD is the most common cause of abnormal liver function tests in the United States. [14]
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), previously known as primary biliary cirrhosis, is an autoimmune disease of the liver. [1] [2] [3] It results from a slow, progressive destruction of the small bile ducts of the liver, causing bile and other toxins to build up in the liver, a condition called cholestasis.
Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), [a] is a type of chronic liver disease.This condition is diagnosed when there is excessive fat build-up in the liver (hepatic steatosis), and at least one metabolic risk factor.
Chronic hepatitis interferes with hormonal functions of the liver which can result in acne, hirsutism (abnormal hair growth), and amenorrhea (lack of menstrual period) in women. [20] Extensive damage and scarring of the liver over time defines cirrhosis , a condition in which the liver's ability to function is permanently impeded. [ 19 ]
ALT is commonly measured clinically as part of liver function tests and is a component of the AST/ALT ratio. [6] When used in diagnostics, it is almost always measured in international units/liter (IU/L) [7] or μkat. While sources vary on specific reference range values for patients, 0-40 IU/L is the standard reference range for experimental ...