Guest guest Posted January 1, 2001 Report Share Posted January 1, 2001 <A HREF= " http://pbcers.org/HTML/pbclabs.htm " >Blood Labs of Interest to PBCers </A> Alkaline phosphatase increases markedly in diseases that impair bile formation (cholestasis) and to a lesser extent in hepatocellular disease. Values in cholestasis, whether from intrahepatic causes (primary biliary cirrhosis, drug-induced liver disease, liver transplantation rejection) or graft-vs.-host (GVH) disease, will be similarly elevated and less distinguishable from extrahepatic causes (duct obstruction from stricture, stone, or tumor), all rising some fourfold. In hepatocellular disease (eg, various forms of hepatitis, cirrhosis, infiltrative disorders), levels tend to be lower with some overlap. Isolated elevations (other liver tests are normal) occur in granulomatous or focal liver disease (eg, abscess, neoplastic infiltration, or partial bile duct obstruction). In some extrahepatic malignancies without liver metastasis, the cause is obscure: bronchogenic carcinoma may produce its own alkaline phosphatase; hypernephroma in 15% of cases induces a nonspecific hepatitis as the presumed origin of the enzyme elevation. For Hodgkin's lymphoma, the cause of the isolated alkaline phosphatase elevation is unknown. Generally an isolated alkaline phosphatase elevation found in an otherwise asymptomatic adult, particularly if elderly, is not worth investigating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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