Abnormal Liver Function Tests

Liver function tests, aka liver panels, are clinical blood tests executed to determine the condition of a person's liver. In most of the cases, liver problems begin with mild symptoms that are difficult to assess. If the problems are diagnosed in their preliminary stage itself, it becomes very easy to treat the underlying ailment.

Liver function tests are recommended with the onset of these mild signs and symptoms, in order to find out the underlying condition which leads to abnormalities in liver functioning. On the other hand, if not diagnosed in early stages, the problems are known to worsen, and lead to more complicated, irreversible health conditions, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer, and eventually result in liver failure.

Liver Function Tests

In human anatomy, liver is designated the task of producing certain enzymes necessary for proper functioning of our body. Alterations in the levels of these enzymes are signs of some abnormalities in the body, mostly in various liver functions. In liver function tests, the levels of the enzymes and proteins produced in the liver are measured by examining the blood. The factors taken into consideration when various liver functions tests are performed are given below.

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartarte aminotransferase (AST) Levels
Measuring ALT and AST levels helps in determining the degree of inflammation. When liver cells are damaged, the aminotransferase enzymes present in these cells leaks into the blood stream. Assessing the levels of ALT and AST is helpful in diagnosis of hepatitis, muscle damage in the body or alcohol induced liver problems.

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Gamma-glutamyl transferase (Gamma GT)
Increase in the levels of ALP and Gamma GT is a sign of some obstructive or cholestatic liver disease, wherein the obstruction of the bile duct suspends the transportation of bile from the liver. Gamma GT also helps in determining the alcohol use of the individual.

Albumin and Bilirubin
Albumin level decreases in chronic liver diseases and goes on decreasing as the disease worsens. The levels may also see a decline in case of malnutrition or protein deficiency. More importantly, increase in bilirubin, a pigment present in the bile is known to cause jaundice.

Prothrombin Time: Clotting Ability of Blood
Liver plays an important role in blood clotting, i.e. thickening of blood. Any damage caused to the liver leads to thinning of blood and hence it takes longer time for blood to clot. Prolonged prothrombin time, i.e. the ability of blood to clot, is an indication of some chronic liver disease.

Causes of Abnormal Liver Functioning

Liver Failure
As the name suggests, liver failure is one of the major reasons for the liver function test results to be positive. It is a life-threatening medical condition, which requires a short period to develop, and hence liver function tests are very effective when it comes to early diagnosis and treatment of the ailment.

Steatohepatitis
Commonly referred to as fatty liver disease, steatohepatitis is one of the major diseases which can lead to abnormal functioning of the liver. It is normally caused due to excessive alcohol abuse, consumption of more than the required amount of calories or excessive weight loss all of sudden.

Hemochromatosis
A medical condition characterized by abnormal body function, wherein excessive amounts of iron is extracted from the food a person consumes and stored in the liver. A recessive genetic disorder, hemochromatosis can lead to abnormal liver function test results being positive.

Other Causes
Other reasons include diseases, such as viral hepatitis, toxic substances, such as alcohol and pesticides, or certain medications meant to treat some other ailment the person is suffering from. It may be surprising, but even an aspirin can cause the liver to function abnormally.

Generally, it is assumed that elevated levels of these enzymes produced by the liver is a sign of some irregularity in the body. However, this doesn't mean that elevated levels of enzymes compulsorily correspond to some disease. At times though, the enzyme levels are elevated even in people whose liver is functioning normally.