Liver Function Tests (LFTs)

 Liver Function Tests (LFTs) 

Liver Function Tests (LFTs) are blood tests that assess liver damage, disease, or dysfunction. They measure various enzymes, proteins, and waste products to evaluate liver health.

Common LFT Parameters:

1. Alanine Transaminase (ALT)

2. Aspartate Transaminase (AST)

3. Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP)

4. Total Bilirubin (TBIL)

5. Direct Bilirubin (DBIL)

6. Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)

7. Albumin

8. Total Protein

What LFTs Indicate:

1. ALT/AST: Liver cell damage (hepatocellular injury)

2. ALP: Bile duct obstruction or liver damage

3. TBIL/DBIL: Liver's ability to process bilirubin (jaundice)

4. GGT: Liver damage, alcohol use, or bile duct disease

5. Albumin: Liver's synthetic function (protein production)

6. Total Protein: Liver's overall synthetic function

Interpretation:

1. Normal: No liver damage or disease

2. Elevated: Liver damage, disease, or dysfunction

3. Decreased: Impaired liver function (e.g., cirrhosis)

Clinical Significance:

1. Diagnose liver diseases (hepatitis, cirrhosis, cancer)

2. Monitor liver damage from medications or toxins

3. Evaluate liver function before surgery or transplantation

4. Monitor progression of liver disease



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Biochemistry plays in space exploration

  Biochemistry plays a critical role in space exploration by   helping to ensure the health and well-being of astronauts .   Space travel can have many negative effects on the human body, including: Bone and muscle loss Cardiovascular changes Weakened immune systems Hormonal imbalances Abnormal digestion and absorption Abnormal iron metabolism Ophthalmological issues   Biochemistry helps to develop strategies to counteract these effects. This includes:   Nutritional counter measures NASA's Nutritional & Biochemistry team develops and validates nutritional countermeasures to prevent or minimize the negative effects of spaceflight on the human body. For example, astronauts may need less iron during long-duration missions.   Understanding metabolic processes Understanding the impact of space travel on metabolic processes is vital for designing effective countermeasures.   Designing better equipment and technologies Understanding what happens...
Read more

Kidney function tests

Image
  Kidney function tests  Kidney function tests are essential for assessing how well your kidneys are working.  1. Blood Tests: Serum Creatinine : Measures the level of creatinine, a waste product from muscle metabolism. Elevated levels may indicate impaired kidney function. Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) : Measures the amount of nitrogen in your blood from urea, another waste product. High levels can suggest kidney issues. Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) : Calculated using serum creatinine, age, sex, and race. It estimates how well your kidneys are filtering blood. An eGFR below 60 may indicate kidney disease. 2. Urine Tests: Urinalysis : A dipstick test that checks for protein, blood, glucose, and other substances. Presence of protein (proteinuria) can indicate kidney damage. 24-Hour Urine Collection : Measures the total amount of waste products excreted in urine over 24 hours. This can help assess kidney function and detect kidney stones. 3. Imaging Tests: U...
Read more

Mpox

Image
  Mpox(monkeypox) Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus  Orthopoxvirus . There are two distinct clades of the virus: clade I (with subclades Ia and Ib) and clade II (with subclades IIa and IIb). In 2022–2023 a global outbreak of mpox was caused by the clade IIb strain.  Mpox continues to be a threat today, and an upsurge of cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries caused by clades Ia and Ib has raised concern. There are vaccines for mpox. Vaccination should be considered along with other public health interventions.  Common symptoms of mpox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last 2–4 weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.  Mpox can be transmitted through close contact with someone who has mpox, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals. During pregnancy, the virus may be passed to ...
Read more