Special Precautions/Comments:

Additional Information:

Primarily, AST is a marker of hepatocellular injury. Measurement of AST activity is therefore used for the diagnosis of hepatic diseases such as acute and chronic viral hepatitis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcohol‑related liver disease, ischemic hepatopathy, suspected malignant infiltration, cholestasis. Although alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is considered a more specific indicator of liver disease, the concentration of AST may be a more sensitive indicator of liver injury in conditions such as alcohol‑related liver disease and in some cases of autoimmune hepatitis. Several international guidelines recommend AST testing for monitoring chronic hepatitis status and progression. Non‑liver causes for increases in AST include damage to cardiac or skeletal muscle cells and haemolysis. Serum elevation of AST without elevation in ALT is suggestive of cardiac or muscle disease. In patients undergoing renal dialysis or those with vitamin B6 deficiency, serum AST may be decreased. AST serum levels can be affected by age, gender, alcohol consumption, body mass index, dietary and living habits, nutrition, metabolic status, and drug treatment, among other factors.