What does these numbers for alt ast mean?

[shortcat]

I just had some blood work done and am concerned as to what I see on the paper work.  I see my alkaline phosphatase  level is 147  the alt is12 and the ast  is 16.  I am not sure but it doesnt seem like these are real good numbers. I am worried but it seems my doctor is not.  Should I be worried or am I just worried for nothing?  I  lost   my sister to a liver disorder and found out my brother has the same disorder. So I am more than a little concerned than others I guess.  I have also had an ileostomy 2 yrs ago and so I worry about that since I still have some problems left from that.  Is this anything to worry about?

[Dee1956]

You alt and ast look very good.  Hector has given you some great information.  Don't worry.  Talk to your doctor.  If he/she is not worried I would not be either.

[HectorSF]

ALP - What Affects the Test

Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:

* Taking medicines that may damage the liver, such as some antibiotics, birth control pills, long-term aspirin use, and oral diabetes medicines.

* Going through menopause. Postmenopausal women may have higher ALP levels than women who still have menstrual cycles.

Nonhepatic Sources of Abnormalities for Select Laboratory Tests

Alkaline phosphatase - Bone, first-trimester placenta, kidneys, intestines

High ALP levels can be caused by bone diseases, such as Paget's disease, osteomalacia, rickets, bone tumors, or tumors that have spread from another part of the body to the bone, or by overactive parathyroid glands (hyperparathyroidism). Normal healing of a bone fracture can also raise ALP levels.

Heart failure, heart attack, mononucleosis, or kidney cancer can raise ALP levels. A serious infection that has spread through the body (sepsis) can also raise ALP levels.'
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ALT & AST

'Serum aminotransferase levels—ALT and AST—are two of the most useful measures of liver cell injury, although the AST is less liver specific than the ALT level. Elevations of the AST level may also be seen in acute muscle injury, cardiac or skeletal muscle. Lesser degrees of ALT level elevation may occasionally be seen in skeletal muscle injury or even after vigorous exercise. Diseases that primarily affect hepatocytes, such as viral hepatitis, will cause disproportionate elevations of the AST and ALT levels compared with the alkaline phosphatase level. The ratio of AST/ALT is of little benefit in sorting out the cause of liver injury except in acute alcoholic hepatitis, in which the ratio is usually greater than 2 and the AST level is 400 IU/mL or lower.

Mild elevations of the AST level, less than two times the upper limit of normal, are common. In part, this is explained by how normal values are calculated; normal is defined as the mean of the distribution ± 2 standard deviations (SDs). By this definition, 2.5% of normal persons have values above the normal range.2 Common causes of mild increases in AST and ALT levels include reduction effect (e.g., status) and fatty liver disease seen most often in those with obesity, diabetes, or elevated blood lipid levels. Fatty liver is also seen in those who drink alcohol.'

Hector

[HectorSF]

Do you have hepatitis C?

Your ALT and AST levels are within normal levels as they should be.

Look on the lab report to see what the standard range for ALP is for the lab that performed the blood test. Please consult with your doctor if your level of ALP is high. There are many drugs, conditions and diseases that can cause an increase in ALP. Perhaps it is related to your ileostomy? Since this forum is about hepatitis C we can not advice you about anything related to your ileostomy.

Good luck!

Hector