Examinations
Examinations
ALT is an intracellular enzyme involved in amino acid metabolism. It is commonly used in the diagnosis of liver, heart, and skeletal muscle damage and is considered a more specific marker for liver diseases.
The highest ALT activity is observed in the liver and kidneys. Normally, ALT is found in very small amounts in blood plasma. However, when tissues with high ALT content are damaged, its levels in the blood increase significantly. In viral hepatitis, the rise in ALT levels corresponds to the severity of the disease. A sharp increase in ALT is also observed in toxic hepatitis, while alcohol-related hepatitis causes a comparatively smaller elevation. A 5-10 fold increase in ALT and AST levels can occur in primary or metastatic liver cancer.
In myocardial infarction, ALT levels in the blood rise less significantly than AST, as AST is more active in cardiomyocytes.
- The test should be conducted after 8-14 hours of fasting.
- It can also be performed 4 hours after a light meal.
- High psycho-emotional stress and physical activity should be avoided prior to the test.
- Risk group for viral hepatitis
- Monitoring patients with hepatitis of various etiologies
- Donor screening
- Pathologies of striated muscles
- Monitoring medication intake.
- Liver necrosis (viral hepatitis, liver damage by toxic substances)
- Shock
- Heart problems
- Cholestatic and obstructive jaundice
- Liver cancer (primary and metastatic)
- Liver cirrhosis
- Necrosis and damage to skeletal muscles
- Myocardial infarction
- Myocarditis
- Myositis
- Myopathy
- Fatty liver disease
- Chronic alcoholism
- Chronic pancreatitis
- Severe burns
- Primary carnitine deficiency
- Use of hepatotoxic medications
Decreased ALT levels:
- Liver damage (extensive necrosis, cirrhosis)
- Vitamin B6 deficiency.