Plasma
Adult patient:
Heparin gel tube
Minimum blood volume: 5 mL
Spot fluid:
Plain bottle
Minimum volume: 10 mL
Paediatric heparin tube
Number of vials: 1
Minimum blood volume: 1.3 mL
Authorisation code required
No
No
24 Hr available service
Yes
(Call extension: 3353 for express result)
No
Method
Spectrophotometry
Reference interval
| Female: | < 47 U/L (at 37 °C) |
| Male: | < 53 U/L (at 37 °C) |
(Source: from Gut 2012; 61: 409 - 415)
Clinical indication
Detection and monitoring of liver cell damage
Result interpretation
Increased ALT levels are associated with hepatocellular damage (e.g. infectious hepatitis, obstructive jaundice, cirrhosis and fatty necrosis of the liver).
ALT is more specific for hepatocellular damage than is AST or LDH and remains elevated for longer, due to its longer half-life.
The AST / ALT ratio is typically > 1 in alcoholic liver disease and < 1 in non-alcoholic liver disease.
ALT may be slightly elevated in skeletal muscle disease but the degree of elevation is much less than for AST and CK.
Sulfasalazine and Sulfapyridine interfere in ALT and AST analytical measurement. Patients currently treated with Sulfasalazine and Sulfapyridine might receive false results of ALTand AST.
Cyanokit (Hydroxocobalamin) may cause interference with results.
Measurement of uncertainty
Frequency of measurement
Daily