Purpose

Diagnosis and monitoring of liver disease associated with hepatic necrosis.

A liver function test, ALT is more sensitive for the detection of hepatocyte injury than for biliary obstruction. ALT is more specific for liver injury than AST (SGOT). Useful for hepatic cirrhosis, other liver disease. Increased in Reye syndrome, with AST. Negative serological findings in the presence of hepatitis-like chemistry abnormalities may also suggest acute drug-induced hepatitis. The combination of increased AST and ALT with negative hepatitis markers occurs in a number of other entities including infectious mononucleosis. ALT is less sensitive than is AST to alcoholic liver disease. Grossly hemolyzed samples can generate somewhat spurious results.