Re: Low ALT?

[Guest guest]

Hi ;

I would not be too concerned about the ALT level and AST/ALT ratio.

If you look at this article:

Abnormal findings on liver function tests

Interpreting results to narrow the diagnosis and establish a prognosis

http://www.postgradmed.com/issues/2000/02_00/gopal.htm

the " normal " ALT level is listed as " 3 - 30 " , and so Noah's ALT would

be considered " normal " . The normal AST range listed here is " 11 -

32 " ; again Noah's level would be " normal " . I think that the use of

the AST:ALT ratio to diagnose cirrhosis would only begin to apply

when one or more of these enzymes are elevated, not when both are in

the " normal " range. But please ask Noah's doctors about this on

Wednesday.

Best regards,

Dave

(father of (21); PSC 07/03; UC 08/03)

[Guest guest]

Thanks . And this article

states the use of it only in the presence of alcoholic liver disease.

HMMM! Not what we are dealing with of course. Or viral hepatitis.

Not that either. So, maybe this ratio business is a bust. I had

also read in the book we got at the PSC conference about a Spanish way of

finding it using a fibrosis index and I found a paper that took 5 different

ways using 5 different blood tests and finally did biopsies to confirm to see

which was the best method. The formula for which is AST: [(AST/ULN)

platelet count]x 100

ULN is upper limit of normal for

AST. This one is the AST to platelet ratio index. The others

were Forns’, fibrosis index, Bonacini’s, discriminant score, age

platelet index and this one was “rated the best.” Felt like

consumer reports for finding the best cirrhosis test that is non-invasive like

a biopsy. I wish we were in Europe where they had that FibroScan or whatever they have over there.

Hopefully that will get approved over here…or maybe it is not even

necessary for my little guy. J I know I am a worrier…but I DON’T want to poke

at him bx wise.

Mom of Zoe

(13) super soccer player;

Noah (9) UC,

PSC, and osteopenia and a great soccer and basketball player and;

Aidan (5) moderately-severely

hearing impaired great basketball shot (10-foot hoop none-the-less)