Elevated liver enzymes (that is, increased aminotransferases) may indicate inflammation or damage to liver cells. The amount of certain chemicals (including liver enzyme ) leaked from inflamed or injured hepatocytes is higher than normal.
The most common elevation of liver enzymes:
alanine aminotransferase (ALT): In most types of liver diseases, ALT levels are higher than AST, and the AST/ALT ratio will be very low (less than 1).
Aspartate Transaminase (AST): Very high levels of AST (more than 10 times the normal value) are usually due to acute hepatitis and sometimes due to viral infection. For acute hepatitis, AST levels usually remain high for about 1-2 months, but may take up to 3-6 months to return to normal.
The human liver contains thousands of enzymes, which are special types of protein cells that help to produce necessary chemical reactions. Liver enzymes trigger the activity of body cells, accelerate and promote naturally occurring biochemical reactions, and maintain various metabolic processes in the liver. There are many reasons for the increase in transaminase of
. Most of them are disease problems, but some drugs can also lead to increased transaminase.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as acetaminophen and aspirin are common drugs often used to relieve pain and are also ingredients used in many other drugs.
Although acetaminophen is known to be safe when using the recommended dose, overdose can cause liver damage to and may expand within 2 to 3 days. Sometimes, it is severe enough to be diagnosed with acute liver failure.
statin
statins that lower cholesterol , such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), can lead to elevated levels of certain liver enzymes.
Although mild elevations in liver enzymes are not uncommon in patients taking statins, the risk of liver failure caused by statins is very low.
There are also some cardiovascular diseases drugs amiodarone , hydralazine , and quinidine can also cause an increase in aminotransferase.
Antibiotics
Various types of antibiotics, including amoxicillin , ciprofloxacin and erythromycin , may lead to increased liver enzymes.
But it is usually difficult to determine the possibility of adverse reactions to antibiotics in patients' livers. This is because patients taking antibiotics have experienced changes in liver enzymes caused by other diseases.
If a patient's liver is at risk or has had problems before, their doctor will know their liver enzyme levels when they take antibiotics to make sure they do not experience any excessively violent changes in enzyme levels.
anti-epileptic drugs
anti-epileptic drugs are used in patients with epileptic seizures and other neurological diseases. The liver usually plays a major role in metabolizing these drugs. Carbamazepine (CBZ), phenobarbital (PB), and phenytoin (PHT) have particularly effective effects on liver enzyme levels.
Antidepressant
Patients with anxiety disorder or Depression usually take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), commonly known as antidepressants.
Although SSRI can help a person’s mental health by increasing the available serotonin levels, it can also have a significant impact on the liver. In addition to increasing liver enzymes, SSRIs can also cause hepatitis, leading to fatigue and severe abdominal pain.
Oxycontin
Oxycontin is a powerful painkiller that works by controlling the release of oxycodone into the bloodstream. Oxycodone activates opioid receptors in central nervous system to relieve pain.
Although widely metabolized by the liver's cytochrome P450 enzyme, elevated enzyme levels are very rare, but may occur in some cases.
