(Newswire.net — October 30, 2018) — A sedentary lifestyle, along with other malpractices like eating unhealthy food and constant consumption of liquor causes the development of fatty liver or other damages. The liver blood test is a very common test which can assess the liver functions or other injuries to the liver. What this basic liver blood test does is determine the level of certain enzymes in the blood, which are responsible for the regulation of important chemical reactions in the body and maintaining proper functioning. The aminotransferases are among the sensitive and widely used liver enzymes. These include the aspartate aminotransferase (shortened as AST and also called SGOT) and the alanine aminotransferase (shortened as ALT and sometimes called SGPT). The increase in the levels of these enzymes indicates that there has been a certain damage in the liver. Getting a proper diagnosis is recommended.
Just like the Mantoux test reveals the dangers of tuberculosis, the liver blood test would reveal if there is an abnormal level of SGPT in the blood. The normal levels are 30 in males and 19 in females, with no regard to where the tests are performed. There has been some confusion regarding the normal levels where it had been claimed that the normal SGPT level is 45 which has often led people to assume that their levels are normal. A recently conducted study had revealed that the normal upper limits of SGPT are 19 and 30 for females and males respectively.
What is this SGPT?
SGPT is normally found in the liver. Though it is not so that it is exclusive to the liver, but the highest concentration of this enzyme can be found only in the liver. The enzyme gets leaked into the bloodstream when the liver gets injured and thus can act as a very specific indicator of the liver status. The name SGPT has actually come from the term serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase, the name given to it previously.
What is indicated by the high levels of SGPT?
SGOT can be found in other tissues like the heart, muscles, kidneys and even the brain and would be released into the serum if either of these tissues is damaged. For instance, during heart attacks, the AST levels in heart attacks would be elevated. But since the SGPT is found mainly in the liver, it is quite a good indicator of damage to the liver. The increase in the levels of SGPT can mean that the liver tissue is sustaining damage. This damage could be a result of several reasons. These damages might be temporary at times, with the SGPT levels returning to normal after three months. However, there are also the chances of the levels rising for six months or even more. This would indicate that there is a chronic disease in the liver and a proper diagnosis would be required to find out the reason.
The consistent rise of SGPT levels is the second stage of liver damage. But a grave reason for concern surfaces when the levels keep on rising for at least a year. This is when the liver damage enters the third level. This is known as fibrosis. The fibrosis can be properly diagnosed with the help of a fibroscan. However, if the damage is consistent, the fourth stage might reveal itself. Here the fibrosis converts to cirrhosis. Now the levels of SGPT and SGOT do not rise further and damage can be seen in the other liver cells. The liver is permanently damaged in this stage.
Inflammation in the blood levels can be identified by the ESR test. But the liver blood test identifies the level of SGPT in the blood and can be a very good identifier of liver damage.