Liver values elevated: What is the cause?
The blood count liver values ALT, AST and GLDH are elevated when the liver cells are damaged, for example by fungal poisoning or acute viral hepatitis. The destruction of the liver cells releases the enzymes and they enter the blood in increased concentrations. At the same time, there is a decrease in substances produced by the liver cells (albumin, coagulation factors).
- Inflammation of the bile ducts (cholangitis), gallstones (cholelithiasis)
- Liver tumor
- Hepatitis
- Liver cirrhosis
- Congestive liver
- Cystic fibrosis (cystic fibrosis)
- Congenital diseases such as Alagille syndrome (rare hereditary disease)
Bilirubin is also not only a liver value, but also an important parameter for the decay of red blood cells. Such hemolysis occurs, for example, in certain anemias (such as sickle cell anemia) or when incorrect blood transfusions are administered. Other causes of elevated bilirubin are:
- Burns
- Death of skeletal muscle cells (rhabdomyolysis), for example in the case of an epileptic seizure or severe trauma
Elevated liver values: The significance of quotients
If liver values are poor, the ratio of different measured values to each other (quotient), can give an indication of the underlying disease.
The ratio of AST to ALT (de-ritis quotient) can help to assess the cause of hepatitis: Values below 1, for example, occur in acute viral hepatitis, values around 1 in liver cirrhosis. Values above 1, on the other hand, indicate chronic hepatitis, and values above 2 tend to indicate alcohol-related liver damage.
