ferritin

[larster]

i am a 43 year old male a heavy drinker for 15+years. 6 mos. ago i had lft tests ast 21 alt 33 albimun 5.0 bilirubin .40 this test was after a week of no alcohol, since then i have the begginings of gerd or ibs my doctor ran lft's again ast 26 alt 39 this was 2 days after heavy drinking, he didn't seem concerned about those #'s since i was having bowel irregularities he ordered an ultrasound on gallbladder,liver etc. that came back normal i then saw the gi dept,for lots of gurgling and gas in bowel the np said an alt of 39 could indicate liver damage, she ordered lft's and a ferritin test my ast 29 alt 36 bilirubin and albimun have remained nearly identical for all 3 testings however my ferritin came back at 478 this last testing was after 2 weeks of very heavy drinking that was 1 1/2 weeks ago i have no knowledge of relatives with iron storage disease. she recommended i get rechecked for ferritin in 3 months my question is given this info what does this indicate as far as my liver is concerned?

[Kevin Pho, MD]

An elevated ferritin level may be indicative of hemochromatosis.  The next step would be blood tests to see if the disease is present, and if suggestive a liver biopsy can be considered.

The LFTs are within normal limits.  A normal ultrasound would make fatty liver, cirrhosis, or anatomical abnormalities less likely.  

I would discuss the possibility of hemochromatosis with your personal physician.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_b

[larster]

i should also mention i threw my back out 3 weeks prior to my gi appt had an mri all 5 lumbars have disc protrusions 2 with tears not sure if that has any bearing on inflammation