Alanine transferase liver function test

Hepatic Effects. Liver function tests (serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase) completed in 11 hexachloroethane workers were within the normal range (Selden et al. 1994). Plasma hexachloroethane levels in these workers, who wore protective equipment, were 7.3 + 6.04 pg/L at the time of the tests (Selden et al. 1993). Mild skin and mucous membrane irritation were reported in the exposed group, suggesting that exposure may have been through either the inhalation or dermal routes of exposure. 

Hepatic Effects. Liver function tests (serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase) were not affected in 11 hexachloroethane-exposed workers who wore protective clothing (Selden et al. 1993). 

Increased liver function tests - Mrs CR s alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels are all increased above the normal ranges and indicate moderate liver impairment. This may have implications on the ability of the liver to metabolise drugs and must be borne in mind when prescribing any drugs that are metabolised by it. 

Enzymes in this category include alanine and aspartate aminotransferases, glutamate dehydrogenase (GLD), ATP, 5 -nucleotidase (NTP), y-glutamyl transferase (GGT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and serum cholinesterase (CHE). The aminotransferases and ALP are widely used. They have long been mistakenly called, as a group, liver function tests. They are not, of course, but the habit persists. GGT is widely available in the United States and on automated analyzers. The others have not been adopted as widely. 

Acute hepatitis mimicking iron overload syndrome was reported in a 35-year-old man who had been taking fo-ti (dose and duration unspecified). Laboratory studies included alanine transferase 2714 U/1 (normal <50 U/1), aspartate aminotransferase 1170 U/1 (normal <50 U/1), AP 137 U/1 (normal <130 U/1), total bilirubin 4.6 mg/dl (normal <1.4 mg/dl), direct bilirubin 3.0 mg/dl (normal <0.4 mg/dl), and ferritin 13,862 ng/ml (normal 8 to 282 ng/ml) and a fasting transferrin saturation of 86% (normal 20% to 60%). Analysis of the herbal supplement identified extracts from fo-ti including the anthraquinones emodin and physcion. The patient recovered after cessation of the herbal products, and liver function tests 4 months after hospitalization were normal (Laird et al. 2008). 

Laboratory abnormalities of routine tests most commonly involve tests of liver function, and patients with acute Q fever may present with a clinical picture of acute hepatitis. Depending on the locale, reported elevations of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transferase, or both, in the range of 2- to 3-fold higher than the upper limit of normal, are observed in 50% to 75% of patients, while elevation of the alkaline phosphatase is observed in 10% to 15% of patients. The total bilirubin can be expected to be elevated in 10% to 15% of patients with acute Q fever. The white blood cell count is usually normal the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is elevated in one third of patients.65 Mild anemia or thrombocytopenia may also be observed. 

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