ALT / SGPT ( ALANINIE AMINOTRANSFERASE / SERUM GLUTAMATE PYRUVATE TRANSAMINASE)

10 -40 U/L

• ALT is present in high concentrations in the liver and to a lesser extent in the kidney, heart, skeletal muscle, pancreas, spleen, and lungs. The function of ALT is to convert alanine, an amino acid found in proteins, into pyruvate, an important intermediate in cellular energy production. 
• ALT is more sensitive for the detection of hepatocyte injury than for biliary obstruction and is more specific for liver injury than AST(SGOT). 
• Useful for hepatic cirrhosis, other liver diseases and is sensitive to heart failure. ALT is thought to be a more specific indicator of liver inflammation, since the AST may be elevated in diseases of other organs such as the heart or muscle
• In acute liver injury, such as acute viral hepatitis, ALT may be elevated to a high of 100 or over 1000 U/L. Mild or moderate elevations of ALT and AST are non-specific and may be caused by a wide range of liver diseases. ALT is more specific for detecting liver disease in nonalcoholic asymptomatic patients

• When there is s/s of liver disease ( weakness , fatigue , loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting , Jaundice, Dark urine, light coloured stools, pruritus, swelling in the legs and ankles, tendency to bruise easily)
• People who are at an increased risk for liver diseases( who are exposed to Hepatitis viruses, heavy drinkers, h/o liver disease in family, taking drugs that can damage liver)

• Hepatitis ( Viral , Auto immune )
• Use of hepato toxic drugs 
• Hepatic ischemia
• Cirrhosis 
• Hepatic tumour
• Reye’s syndrome
• Epstein Barr Virus(EBV)
• Myocardial Infarction 
• Myocarditis
• Renal Infarction 
• Pulmonary infarction
• Severe muscle trauma
•  Dermatomyositis
• Polymyositis 
• Seizure disorder
• Obesity
• Drugs - diphenylhydantoin, heparin therapy