Exam Overview
Some blood tests are used to determine
whether your liver is damaged or inflamed. Although these tests help your
doctor evaluate how well your liver is working, they cannot tell if you have
hepatitis C.
Tests that assess liver function
Your doctor may
do tests to measure certain chemicals produced by the liver. These tests can
help your doctor check how well your liver is working. Tests may
measure:
Tests that check for inflammation of the liver (liver enzyme studies)
If you have increased levels of the following, your
liver may be damaged:
An increased level of
alkaline phosphatase (AP) may indicate blockage of
bile ducts.
Why It Is Done
Liver tests are done when a medical
history or physical exam suggests that something may be wrong with your
liver.
These tests can also help diagnose long-term (chronic)
infection. Hepatitis C infection is considered chronic when liver enzymes
remain elevated for longer than 6 months.
If you are being treated
with antiviral therapy, you may have liver tests from time to time to see
whether treatment is working.
Results
Findings of liver function tests may include
the following:
Normal
All levels are within the normal range.
Abnormal
One or more levels are outside the normal range.
Abnormal liver function tests may indicate that your liver is inflamed or is
not working normally. This can be a sign that you have a viral
infection.
What To Think About
Elevated liver enzymes can be
caused by many things other than hepatitis C, such as
obesity,
hepatitis B, autoimmune hepatitis, certain medicines,
or long-term alcohol use. So you will need other tests (such as a hepatitis C
antibody blood test or a liver biopsy) to confirm a diagnosis of hepatitis
C.
People with chronic hepatitis C have abnormal liver enzyme
levels most of the time. But the levels can fluctuate between normal and
abnormal throughout the course of the disease.
Liver tests can be
used to help you and your doctor develop a treatment plan. Signs that you might
need treatment include:
- Liver enzyme levels that remain above normal
for longer than 6 months, which is evidence of chronic
infection.
- Detectable levels of hepatitis C virus in your blood
(positive hepatitis C
RNA test). This is a sign of an active
infection.
- Evidence of serious liver damage. This is detected with
a
liver biopsy.
Complete the medical test information form (PDF) (What is a PDF document?) to help you prepare for this test.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
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| Primary Medical Reviewer | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine |
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| Specialist Medical Reviewer | W. Thomas London, MD - Hepatology |
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| Last Revised | July 6, 2011 |
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