Liver blood test results regarding alcohol

[moggyjo]

My best friend found out he had Hep C around 10 years ago and thinks he probably contacted it in 1982.
He is in his late 40s and is a very heavy drinker (to the state of falling over drunk a lot.
Last week he got the results of blood tests he had done, the doctor said he should cut down drinking. I wonder if it is safe for him to drink at all, as he can't go to a pub and just have a couple of pints and leave.

Coul;d someone explain what these results mean please.

GGTP = 553

ALT = 304

I am worries as he is on about going to the pub Saturday which will mean loads of beer! he has not had a drink for a week, so far

[meki]

thanks moggyjo - nice to hear someone is interested in helping themselves.

Thanks for being a caring friend.

[moggyjo]

He is still off of the booze and seems to be doing really well.

[GSDgirl]

I was also told that the PCT would go away buy there darn whitehead looking milia are bugging me.  I pick them too and then they look worse...........But some of them just pop right out, hence the thought that they will all be that easy NOT,    LOL.  I can't get email right now cause I finally got the verizon wireless....YEA no more dial up.......But I need to take the time to set up a new email acct, otherwise I would have PM'd you.  

Denise

[Trinity4]

I still get the milia too (not as bad) but no blisters so far.  I have noticed my skin doesn't tear as easily anymore though.  The other day I caught my finger on the side of the pool rim which is aluminum and tore a chunk out. It never did bleed either and it was pretty deep.  The one thing I did notice is that it didn't take a long time to heal like before.  Had a scab for about a week or so and then it went away. My problem is if I'd leave my hands alone and stop picking at the scabs and milia I probaby wouldn't have any scars!!! I think PCT is a chronic disease but you have eliminated the source which was HCV so the PCT should disappear altogether.  I was told by the dermo that if I get rid of the HCV then the PCT will go away too.  I'll guess I have to wait on that one!!!
Take care
Trin

[GSDgirl]

I just read your post on PCT.  It sounds like even after the hep c is und / gone the PCT is still there.  Am I reading that correctly?  I'm just wondering because I am getting those milia (white bumps) again.  No blisters but any scratch, even if it doesn'y bleed, I still get an ugly scab.  

moggyjo----good to hear he quit drinking hope it continues

Denise

[moggyjo]

He has now been 12 days without a drink, he says hes OK even going down the pub and having soft drinks! He said because he was told how bad his liver has got, he has basically decided that he has got to stop drinking, he even seems happier now, its great.  

[meNtoby]

As posted, your friend should stop, but my brother has HCV, likely from a transfusion in '89 and he has to help himself, no one in our family has been able to that for him.  I cut him out of my life for his alcohol rages that I couldn't take anymore.  

Sadly, now we have something in common, as I have recently been diag. with HCV and have most likely had it much longer.  I have considered getting back in touch with him but I don't think it would make any difference.  I couldn't take his whining before after the drinking, and I most certainly don't think I could take it now.   Or make him change.

C.

[Trinity4]

Sounds like he also has PCT.  I had this disorder and was given a series of phlebotomies prior to treatment for HCV.  Your friend is in denial regarding his alcohol problem.  If he would recognize at all he has a drinking problem then he would have to come to terms with the affects it is having on the liver as well.  Very sad because smart people just don't respond with answers like "I didn't get told the results of my biopsy".  I don't believe that for one minute.  He needs some serious intervention but unless he's willing to admitt there is a problem and ready to help himself no amount of effort on your part is going to make a difference.  Good Luck.  Trinity

Porphyria cutanea tarda (commonly referred to as PCT) is recognized as the most prevalent subtype of porphyritic diseases. The disease is characterized by blistering of the skin in areas that receive higher levels of exposure to sunlight. The primary cause of this disorder is a deficiency of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (UROD), a cytosolic enzyme that is a step in the enzymatic pathway that leads to the synthesis of heme.1 While a deficiency in this enzyme is the direct cause leading to this disorder, there are a number of both genetic and environmental risk factors that are associated with PCT. [1]

Signs and Symptoms
Typically, patients who are ultimately diagnosed with PCT first seek treatment following the development photosensitivities in the form of blisters and erosions on commonly exposed areas of the skin. This is usually observed in the face, hands, forearms, and lower legs. It heals slowly and with scarring. Though blisters are the most common skin manifestations of PCT, other skin manifestations like hyperpigmentation (as if they are getting a tan) and hypertrichosis (mainly on top of the cheeks) also occur. PCT is a chronic condition, with external symptoms often subsiding and recurring as a result of a number of factors. In addition to the symptomatic manifestation of the disease in the skin, chronic liver problems are extremely common in patients with the sporadic form of PCT. These include hepatic fibrosis (scarring of the liver), cirrhosis, and inflammation. However, liver problems are less common in patients with the inherited form of the  

Diagnosis
While the most common symptom of PCT is the appearance of skin lesions and blistering, their appearance does not single-handedly lead to a conclusive diagnosis. Laboratory testing will commonly reveal high levels of uroporphyrinogen in the urine, clinically referred to as uroporphyrinogenuria. Additionally, testing for common risk factors such as Hepatitis C and hemochromatosis is strongly suggested, as their high prevalence in patients with PCT may require additional treatment.

Treatment
Since PCT is a chronic condition, a comprehensive management of the disease is the most effective means of treatment. Primarily, it is key that patients diagnosed with PCT avoid alcohol consumption, iron supplements, excess exposure to sunlight (especially in the summer), as well as estrogen and chlorinated cyclic hydrocarbons, all of which can potentially exacerbate the disorder. Additionally, the management of excess iron (due to the commonality of hemochromatosis in PCT patients) can be achieved through phlebotomy, whereby blood is systematically drained from the patient. Finally, due to the strong association between PCT and Hepatitis C, the treatment of Hepatitis C (if present) is vital to the effective treatment of PCT. Chloroquine and venesection can be part of a management strategy.[

[moggyjo]

He has had 2 biopsy's in the past but says he didn't get told the results, the last one was about 2 years ago also another thing he has been getting for about a year now,is the slightest scratch he gets turns into horrible red scabs, they are all over his hands, arms and face. he would not go to the doctor about them. They looked awful. Could this be related to Hep C?

[nygirl7]

How many alcohol threads can we have by new people in two days? Let's see.

sorry but - this is getting idiotic at this point. Anyone who drinks for many years until they fall over has the chance of dying of cirrhosis and they don't even need to have hepatitis C.  With hep c it's a foregone conclusion. Use common sense.

cutting down? to an alcoholic that could mean from a fifth a day to a pint a day..........seriously.....

[CockSparrow]

btw his ALT and GGT are quite high and I think your friend should consider doing more than just cutting down. Getting drunk even if only once a week does not stop disease progression once that is occuring.

CS

[CockSparrow]

It would be useful if you posted your friends other blood test markers such as AST and ALP (ALK Phos). This would help with determining what is causing the high enzymes.

You friend really does need to stop drinking alcohol as the elevated ALTs and GGT indicate alcohol damage. Along with the damage HepC is causing, he really is placing keep his Liver at risk. High GGT is not good. High ALTs also indicate damage is occuring.

LabTest Online explation of GGT and what it is a marker for.
From http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/ggt/test.html

GGT
Also known as: Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, GGTP
Formal name: Gamma-glutamyl transferase

GGT can also be used to screen for chronic alcohol abuse (it will be elevated in about 75% of chronic drinkers).

In persons with a history of alcohol abuse who have completed alcohol treatment, GGT may be used to monitor compliance with the treatment program.

Elevated GGT levels indicate that something is going on with your liver but not specifically what. In general, the higher the level the greater the “insult” to your liver.
Elevated levels may be due to liver disease, but they may also be due to
congestive heart failure,
alcohol consumption, and
use of many prescription and non-prescription drugs including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), lipid-lowering drugs, antibiotics, histamine blockers (used to treat excess stomach acid production), antifungal agents, seizure control medications, antidepressants, and hormones such as testosterone. Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) and clofibrate can decrease GGT levels.

CS

[Grace724]

As the others have said your friend needs to stop drinking COMPLETELY...NOW. There were times when my husbands ALT and AST #'s were way up there in the high 200's. Now last check after his hospitalization with Hepatic Encephalopathy they are down in the low 60's which is still too high but much, much better than high 200's.

He really needs to get himself to either a good gastroenterologist with experience in HepC/liver failure or to a Hepatologist for a thorough exam and a liver biopsy to determine the extent of damage that's been done to his liver. Most of all he needs to stop consuming alcohol. It's like throwing gasoline on a raging fire.

Good luck

~Grace

[hippygem]

Your friend needs to stop drinking alcohol NOW, his ALT levels are way too high, he needs to see a hepatologist (liver doctor) and have a liver biopsy which will tell the extent of damage done to the liver.
There are counsellors or AA that could help him with his drinking.
I hope you are able to encourage him to get the right kind of help, but remember that if he wont help himself it isnt your fault.

[Debbie223]

I think he should get a liver biospy done sooner then later... having HCV and drinking heavy is just not good...

[widner103]

I don't know what GGTP is, but ALT (if I studied correctly), is an enzyme produced in the liver that is released into the bloodstream when liver cells die off.  ALT level of 304 is rather high.  When I was first dx'd my ALT was 46, and my doctor told me "no alcohol", period.  Normal ALT should be around 20.

My guess would be the high ALT is caused more by the virus than alcohol, but I'm not a doctor.