RE: Liver function vs Liver enzymes

[Guest guest]

Abijann,

Thanks so much for the information on the liver-compensated vs.

decompensated.

It was very helpful.

God Bless,

--

- In livercirrhosissupport , abijann

wrote:

>

>

> http://216.109.125.130/search/cache?ei=UTF-

8 & p=compensated+decompensated\

> +liver+cirrhosis & fr=ush-

groups & u=www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheet\

>

s_pdf/cirrhosis.pdf & w=compensated+decompensated+liver+cirrhosis & d=JrLh

tO\

> rnO4Mr & icp=1 & .intl=us

> <http://216.109.125.130/search/cache?ei=UTF-

8 & p=compensated+decompensate\

> d+liver+cirrhosis & fr=ush-

groups & u=www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factshee\

>

ts_pdf/cirrhosis.pdf & w=compensated+decompensated+liver+cirrhosis & d=JrL

ht\

> OrnO4Mr & icp=1 & .intl=us>

>

> I hope that you will be able to go to this link to learn more about

how

> the

>

> liver function tests may be almost normal, but you still have

cirrhosis.

>

> This was a pdf file, but I had to use the html version in order to

post

> it and did

>

> not realize how long the url was for this.

>

> However, since I'm not sure you will be able to view this....I would

> like

>

> to take a little time to explain this.

>

> There are many people who are walking around, never knowing that

there

> is

>

> anything wrong with the liver. Even people who have had lab work

done

> by

>

> their doctors. The liver is not a very complaining organ until it's

> function is

>

> inhibited, then symptoms start to show. Some may ask then if some

of

> the

>

> liver cells have died and a patient is diagnosed with cirrhosis,

how can

> their

>

> tests not show this. That is because there are two types of tests.

>

> There are the liver enzymes and the liver function tests. The liver

> enzyme

>

> are the ALT and the AST and Alk Phos. When the liver cells become

>

> damaged, these enzymes are released into the blood and are picked

up on

>

> blood tests. When the cells die, they form scar tissue. However,

the

>

> liver function may not as yet started to deteriate enough to show up

>

> on the blood tests. The products that the liver makes and the

> manufacture

>

> of those products may still show that they are in normal range:

such as

>

> the bilirubin being processed, the albumin in normal level, and the

>

> factors to show the blood is clotting well. Why?, cause the

cirrhosis

> may

>

> not be all through the liver, but just in one part. The patient

still

> has the

>

> death of the liver cells and is diagnosed as having cirrhosis...but

the

> liver

>

> compensates for the part which is scarred by the healthy cells still

> producing

>

> things as normal. Now, on the other hand, someone who has cirrhosis

>

> throughout the liver is not going to fair as well. The liver

function

> will go down

>

> as the scar tissue progresses. Where the one with cirrhosis only

in a

> certain

>

> area may be able to go on for years without serious side effects

caused

> by

>

> the liver cells dying ....this isn't true for someone who has it

> throughout the liver.

>

> When the liver cells start to die, they form scar tissue. The scar

> tissue that

>

> is there can block the other healthy cells from receiving the needed

>

> nourishment and oxygen they need and they die...then it progresses

from

> there.

>

> Cirrhosis in just one part, doesn't progress the same way and the

liver

> still

>

> has alot of healthy cells in the other areas of the liver and the

liver

> test

>

> will show that they are still capable to do the liver functions just

> fine.

>

> In other words, not everyone who is diagnosed with cirrhosis has a

>

> decompensated liver. I hope this will help some of you understand.

>

> The patients that have cirrhosis, but do not have it throughout the

> whole

>

> liver where it has a real effect on the liver function, may not

need a

>

> transplant for years to come. They may live the rest of there life

this

> way.

>

> Why? Because they still have a lot of healthy cells that will not be

> effected

>

> by the scar tissue forming in that area of the liver. If you think

> about those

>

> people who have donated parts of the liver to another person....the

> liver

>

> regenerates itself and will in time become a whole liver again. In

> healthy

>

> cells this is possible....in someone who has scar tissue throughout

the

>

> liver, this is not possible.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I am unable to view the disconnected lines of the urls in any browser I use.

Have you ever tried tinyurl?

http://tinyurl.com/2m7pe4 is a shorthand url for the first page.

Tinyurl.org will translate long URLs into short ones that always fit on one

line, especially if you put the Tinyurl first on the line of text.

Was there more than one url, or just the same url duplicated?

HCVAdvocate.org is a great site for all things liver and hepatitis related.

I've been communicating with all the folks that maintain the advocate for

years on another list.

Sally

Liver function vs Liver enzymes

I hope that you will be able to go to this link to learn more about how the

liver function tests may be almost normal, but you still have cirrhosis.