Is High SGOT/AST in Liver Function Test Alarming?
Is High SGOT/AST in Liver Function Test alarming?
Liver, an essential organ in the human body, is responsible for maintaining the body glucose level, removal of toxins from the body and helping in the digestion of food.
The liver is the only organ with a capacity to regenerate itself; meaning that as little as 25 percent of the original liver mass has the ability to regenerate back to its original size. To sustain the capability and healthy liver functioning, it is very important to take care of this crucial organ.
Therefore, it is advisable to undergo a liver test from time to time. Liver test report helps in determining the health of the liver.
Components of Liver Profile Test
A liver profile or liver function test, also known as a liver panel test, is a group of tests that indicate how well the liver is working. The tests components include:
Alkaline Phosphate (ALP) testAlbumin and Total protein testSerum Glutamic-Oxaloacetic Transaminase (SGOT) or Aspartate Transaminase (AST) test Bilirubin testGamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT) test-lactate dehydrogenase (LD) tests prothrombin time (PT) test
Here in this article, we shall discuss the SGOT/AST test for liver patients.
Need for SGOT test in liver patients
The SGOT (usually called AST) test is a part of a liver function test. The test evaluates how much is the number of liver enzymes Serum Glutamic-Oxaloacetic Transaminase (SGOT) or Aspartate Transaminase (AST) in the blood. The test may also be used to evaluate the health of the liver in patients who have affected liver due to diseases like Hepatitis C.
Results with High SGOT levels
SGOT, other than liver, is also found in the areas of the body like muscles, kidneys, brain, and heart. If the levels are high then any of these areas may be damaged. The doctor may advise for additional tests to rule out another diagnosis.
But in the case of the liver, an ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase - another Liver enzyme) test is done in addition to confirming the liver damage because ALT is found heaviest in the liver.
The rise in SGOT levels in case of a damaged liver is because of the fact that when the cells of the liver are damaged, SGOT tends to leak in the bloodstream raising the levels of the enzyme in the blood.
Sufficiency of SGOT test for Liver Patients
Higher SGOT level is definitely a matter of concern but it alone is not sufficient to conclude the result for liver damage. Many Hepatitis C patients will have normal SGOT/AST while on the other hand patients with cirrhosis or severe liver disease may still have normal values. Therefore, to confirm a liver damage doctors may further prescribe other tests like:
- Coagulation panel: to measure the ability of your blood to clot and evaluate the performance of clotting factor proteins in the liver.
- Bilirubin test: Bilirubin is a molecule and residual product formed from the natural destruction of Red Blood Cells (RBC) that takes place in the liver. This is released in the form of bile.
- Glucose tests: A malfunctioning liver may lead to abnormally low levels of glucose.Platelet count: Low platelet count can be due to liver disorder.
Conclusion
SGOT plays a crucial role in determining the health of the liver but it is not the ‘only’ indicator. One can just not gain any insight into the functioning of the liver merely on the basis of the SGOT levels. Further investigation is required to know the underlying cause of the high SGOT levels.So, if your liver function test results show a high SGOT then you need to see a doctor and follow his advice.
Submitted by AUTHOR: Mr. Aslam | AUTHOR URL: SGOT in Delhi
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://healthdear.com/high-sgot-ast-in-liver-function-test-alarming/