Alkaline Phosphatase

What To Think About

• If the ALP level is high, other tests may be done to determine whether a liver or bone problem is present.
• If liver disease is suspected, more blood tests, an ultrasound, or a CT scan are generally recommended to find the problem.
• Other tests to check liver function, such as alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and bilirubin, are often done at the same time as an alkaline phosphatase (ALP) test. For more information, see the medical tests Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), and Bilirubin.
• Gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), or gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, may be measured in the blood to check the difference between bone ALP and liver ALP. High levels of GGT are present when the liver is damaged but not present with bone disease. A high level of GGT may be caused by alcohol use or may mean that blocked bile ducts are causing inflammation. The level of GGT may be high with the use of certain medicines, such as phenytoin and phenobarbital. In some medical centers, a test that measures a substance called 5-nucleotidase is done instead of the GGT test because it is better at finding liver disease.

Go to previous section	Go to top of page	Go to next section
Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS	Last Updated: July 28, 2008
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Alan C. Dalkin, MD - Endocrinology
© 1995-2009 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.