hep c and liver enzyme

[ladyice544]

can anyone tell me what a normal enzyme for a hep c patient should be.

[HectorSF]

In a sentence, there is no “normal” enzymes level in a person who has hepatitis chronic hepatitis C.

There is no normal for a person that is totally healthy either. All blood levels are ranges and they vary all the time even in one person.

What can be important is when a person’s enzyme levels are out of range. As in that case, it could indicate that something is damaging the liver. So further testing should be done to develop a proper diagnosis.

As other have said, there are exceptions to every rule. Some people with liver disease caused by hepatitis C have normal enzyme levels for many decades others don’t. That is why enzyme results are not used to diagnose hepatitis C. The only true test that determines if a person is chronically infected with hepatitis C is the HCV RNA test.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)

1. AST is a enzyme in liver, muscle, RBC's and other locations

2. Released from damaged cells; serum levels peak 24-36 hr after injury and normalize at 3-6 days if injury isn't ongoing

3. Highest elevations occur in viral hepatitis and hepatotoxicity (10-20 times the upper reference limit)

4. Mild-to-moderate (3-10 fold) elevations occur in chronic hepatitis, active cirrhosis, chronic passive congestion, drug-induced injury, metastatic tumor, biliary disease and a number of other conditions.

5. Cardiac and skeletal muscle injury will also produce substantial AST elevations.

Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) sgpt
1. More specific for the liver than AST, but also present in kidney and muscle

2. Used to confirm that AST elevations are of liver origin (e.g., elevation of both AST and ALT strongly suggest liver cell injury)

3. The ratio of the AST and ALT varies with disease and from patient to patient, as described in the next section)

AST/ALT Ratio

1. Viral hepatitis, mononucleosis, and acute hepatotoxicity typically show elevations in ALT that are equal to or greater than AST elevations (AST/ALT less than or equal to 1.0)

2. ALT is elevated to a lesser degree than AST in alcoholic liver disease and cirrhosis, passive congestion, bile duct obstruction, or metastatic tumor to the liver (AST/ALT greater than 1.0)

3. These are rules of thumb--substantial minorities of patients deviate from them, making the AST/ALT ratio of limited usefulness in the diagnosis of individual patients (though it may be helpful in suggesting the next appropriate step in the workup)
Are these numbers indicative of liver funtion?
Not really. Unfortunately, they are often called "liver function tests" or "LFT's", but in actuality, they do not measure function per se.

Some points:

• These tests have meaning, but they generally cannot be interpreted without clinical information. They are probably most useful to track, or follow a particular problem, but even then they often "bounce around" greatly.

• These numbers are NOT linear. An AST that is 300 is not twice as bad as 150 (normal is less than 50).
We are used to numbers like temperature and dollars. If it is 94 degrees F outside, it is warmer than if it is 80 every time. And if one has 94 dollars, one has more money than if one has 80. Liver enzyme values don't behave this way. An AST of 94 and 80 are essentially the same to a liver specialist.

• These numbers do not always detect all liver disease. Some very patients with severe advanced liver disease will have normal or nearly normal enzyme levels.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are these numbers indicative of liver funtion?

Not really. Unfortunately, they are often called "liver function tests" or "LFT's", but in actuality, they do not measure function per se.

Then how is liver function measured?

Other tests including:

Albumin and Bilirubin, and Prothrombin time are more truly measures of function, but clinical factors must be considered as well.

Cheers!

Hector

[uncledudeness]

welcome to the forum:  

The normal range of values for AST (SGOT) is from 5 to 40 units per liter of serum (the liquid part of the blood).
    The normal range of values for ALT (SGPT) is from 7 to 56 units per liter of serum.


i just googled your question and came up with many sites explaining it.
many informed members here to offer you good advice.

[BoceprevirGal]

Well,it varies. Some Hep C patients have normal enzymes. Others have their enzymes about twice the amount of the normal range, and this is also common. (normal range of AST being 10-35, ALT being 6-40, on my particular lab slip) When my AST went to 398 and ALT went to 500 I thought that jump may have been an indicator that my liver was really inflamed, so I went to a Doctor who treats specializes in treating Hep C, and she agreed with me, and ordered a biopsy, and then we went from those more accurate results.
   There are 100 different reasons that a persons enzymes may be elevated, besides Hep C, by the way.