"I don't feel any discomfort. How come alanine aminotransferase is high?"
Uncle Wei is 63 years old this year. Since he pays more attention to health, he has always been in good health. Some time ago, during a physical examination, Uncle Wei was found to have a high alanine aminotransferase. After learning about the situation, Uncle Wei was a little confused, so he said the sentence at the beginning of the article.
When the doctor heard what Uncle Wei said, he explained: There are many reasons for elevated transaminase, such as poor sleep, drinking, long-term medication, etc. Generally speaking, if the transaminase is not too high, there is no need to worry, and regular review is all it takes. After listening to the doctor's explanation, Uncle Wei's heart dropped.
In fact, in real life, many friends have abnormal transaminases. So what exactly is aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase? Which of them is more dangerous if elevated? How can we reduce transaminases? In order to let everyone have more knowledge and understanding of transaminase, today the doctor will have a good talk with you about the relevant knowledge.
1.What is transaminase? What types does it have?
When it comes to transaminase, many friends may be confused. They only know that it is an enzyme that exists in the liver. In fact, transaminase is an enzyme that catalyzes amino acid metabolism. In addition to the liver, this enzyme is also found in the heart, kidneys, and brain. It’s just that relatively speaking, the transaminase content in the liver is relatively high. There are actually many types of
aminotransferases. In addition to the well-known alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, most amino acids and have their own corresponding enzymes. However, among these transaminases, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase are the most important.
Our liver can be said to be the metabolic warehouse of the human body. It can carry out many kinds of activities, such as metabolism, detoxification, synthesis and secretion of certain substances, etc. In order to maintain the normal operation of the liver, many enzymes are required, such as transaminase, alkaline phosphatase , γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, etc.
If the liver is damaged, some enzymes in the liver will leak out, manifested as increased levels of transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, etc.
2. Alanine aminotransferase or aspartate aminotransferase, which one is more dangerous when elevated?
As mentioned above, in addition to the transaminase contained in the liver, the heart, kidneys, and brain also contain transaminase. However, the content of transaminases is highest in the liver.
In the liver, alanine aminotransferase mainly exists in the cytoplasm, while aspartate aminotransferase mainly exists in the mitochondria of the cell.
When the permeability of the liver's cell membrane increases or is slightly damaged, alanine aminotransferase will increase. Aspartate aminotransferase mainly exists in mitochondria in the liver. When the liver is slightly damaged, it generally does not increase significantly. When the liver is severely damaged and harms the mitochondria, the level of aspartate aminotransferase will increase significantly.
Objectively speaking, the sensitivity of alanine aminotransferase is higher than that of aspartate aminotransferase. Clinically, we can understand the recovery of the liver by observing the changes in alanine aminotransferase.
In other words, the location where alanine aminotransferase exists is relatively shallow, while the location where aspartate aminotransferase exists is relatively deep. Therefore, as long as the liver is slightly damaged, alanine aminotransferase will be significantly increased. When the liver is severely damaged, aspartate aminotransferase will increase significantly. Therefore, relatively speaking, the elevation of aspartate aminotransferase is more dangerous than the elevation of alanine aminotransferase.
3.What are the reasons that can cause elevated transaminases? How can we reduce transaminases?
Generally speaking, as long as the liver is damaged, it can cause an increase in transaminases.In real life, there are many factors that can damage the liver. Common ones include viral hepatitis, drug factors, autoimmune hepatitis, gallbladder disease, malnutrition, staying up late, drinking, high-fat diet, fatty liver, strenuous exercise, etc.
At the same time, for elevated transaminases caused by drugs, we can also use some liver-protecting drugs under the guidance of a doctor, such as bicyclol, compound glycyrrhizin, silybin, liver-protecting tablets, etc.
When we find that the transaminase is elevated, we first need to look at the degree of elevated transaminase. If the transaminase is only slightly elevated (less than 80U/L), you can review it regularly and maintain good living habits, such as paying attention to rest, avoiding staying up late, quitting drinking, and trying not to use drugs indiscriminately, etc. After changing your lifestyle, you can recheck your liver function in about half a month. If the transaminase is still abnormal after reexamination, you should go to the hospital to find out the specific cause.
If there is a significant increase in transaminase (more than 300U/L), and both alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase are elevated, you need to go to the hospital in time to find the specific cause and then treat the cause. For example, if the obvious increase in transaminase is due to viral hepatitis, then most patients can reduce their transaminase after regular treatment.
In real life, many people's elevated transaminase levels are relatively mild, and most of them are elevated in one indicator. However, many people feel uneasy after learning that their transaminases are elevated. In fact, for this situation, you only need to pay attention to some details of life and review regularly. If alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase are elevated at the same time, you need to be vigilant. The liver is likely to be significantly damaged. At this time, we should go to the hospital as soon as possible to determine the specific cause. #Health2022#
