Liver function tests, and some facts about them
According to NCBI, “liver chemistry tests” term is used very frequently; however, in most of the cases, it is poorly defined. NCBI says that “Liver Function Tests (LFTs) is one of the most commonly-requested screening blood tests. Whether for the investigation of suspected liver disease, monitoring of disease activity, or simply as ‘routine’ blood analysis, these tests can provide a host of information on a range of disease processes.”
LFTs or Liver Function Tests are one of the most significant blood tests that have helped doctors to understand the exact condition your liver is in. So, here in this article, we will talk about some of these Liver Function Test, to give our readers a clear conception about these tests.
Some important liver function tests:
- Alanine transaminase (ALT): Alanine transaminase is an enzyme found in the liver and the kidney cells. The ALT helps us to create energy for liver cells. The damaged liver cells might produce ALT and expose them in the bloodstreams. This way, ALT levels elevate in our blood. This test helps us to know about the damaged liver cells.
- Aspartate transaminase (AST): Aspartate transaminase is another incredible enzyme found in our liver. This enzyme helps our body to metabolise amino acids properly. Just like the ALT, AST also has elevating levels in our blood. This elevated AST levels can be a sign of a damaged liver or some liver disease.
- Alkaline Phosphate (ALP): Alkaline phosphate enzyme helps us in numerous body functionings. This enzyme is habituated in our blood, and they supply nutrients to the liver. It also helps in promoting bone growth. Just like AST metabolizes amino acids, Alp helps in metabolizing fats in our intestine.
- Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT): The Gamma-glutamyltransferase, widely known as GGT, is another excellent enzyme present in our body. This enzyme primarily occurs in the liver. However, you can also find them in the pancreas, gall bladder, kidneys, and spleen as well. If the medical experts found higher than normal GGT concentration in blood, that might be a case of alcohol-related liver damage. It can also increase the risk of some certain type of cancers.
- Albumin: Albumin is a protein particle that our liver produces. The liver releases these protein particles in our bloodstream. It will help you to fight infections and will also help you to transport essential hormones, vitamins and more. Liver damage can be identified with significant lower albumin levels in the bloodstreams.
Other than these, there are BIllirubin, and Prothrombin time tests to find out any sign of liver damage.
These are the most significant tests to find out if the patient is suffering from a damaged liver or not.