My question is rather genral but :

  : My ast is 57 and alt is 148, I have been ill for about 3 months and I amm loosing wieght at a rapid rate due to an inability to eat with great success.  my Rheumatoid factor is also high at 153.  I have always been healthy and I'm only 26yrs old.  Do you think it may be a serios problem?  What Might these things indicate in your opinion?  Any help would be much appreciated.  Thanks. John
  After reading some of the Q&A's below I thought I might provide a bit more info:   Perhaps most importantly hep tests a,b,&c came back negative and I am not over wieght now or prior to the onset of this illness. I don't know if this helps but my monocytes are high.  I hope this helps narrow the field a bit, I am Quite concerned, any direction would help.  Thanks,  John
________________
Dear John.
You have been very helpful eith the information that you provided.  The elvated ALT and AST indicate destructionor damage of liver cells.  In a young man, who presumably does not drink alcohol, is not taking any medicvations, is not overweight, and does not have hepatitis, the possibilities to consider are autoimmune liver disease, Wilson's disease ( a condition in which there is excessive copper deposited in the liver) and hemochromatosis (excess iron in the liver; unlikely based on the informationthat you provide.  Your inability to eat and your weight loss alarm me, because they may not be related to liver disease.  I suggest that you arrange to be seen by a gastroenterologist who can perform the appropriate tests to evalaute the possible causes of liver disease as well as determine the cause of your weight loss.
This information is presented for educational purposes only.  always consult your personal physician for specific medical questions.
HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords: hepatitis, liver tests, autoimmune liver disease
0.2