Alanine transaminase

Alanine transaminase (ALT) is an enzyme found primarily in the liver and kidney. It was originally referred to as serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT). ALT is released into the blood when the liver is damaged. The level of ALT in the blood is increased with liver damage and is used to screen for and/or monitor liver disease.

Function

ALT is an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of an amino group from alanine to alpha-ketoglutarate to form glutamate and pyruvate, an important reaction in amino acid metabolism. ALT plays a key role in the gluconeogenesis pathway that synthesizes glucose from proteins and fats.

Clinical significance

ALT is commonly tested for in a basic metabolic panel. Normal levels of ALT varies among different laboratories, but generally, the normal range is 7 to 56 units per liter of serum.

High levels of ALT can indicate liver damage from viral hepatitis, toxic hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, or other liver diseases. ALT levels can also be elevated in conditions such as heart failure, hypothyroidism, or pancreatitis, or from the use of certain medications.

See also

• Aspartate transaminase
• Liver function tests
• Hepatitis

References

Alanine transaminase Resources
Need Help Finding a Doctor? Need help finding a doctor or specialist anywhere in the world? Explore our world directory. WikiMD's DocFinder can assist you in locating millions of physicians.	Medical Knowledge Access the latest research - Most recent articles Ongoing trials.

Translate to: East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski