Low transaminases: causes and everything you need to know
Index
- What are transaminases?
- Analysis of GOT (AST)
- Low transaminases
- How to lower transaminases
When we perform a routine blood test, it is very common to include a series of basic parameters that are especially useful for assessing the health status of the person, mainly because when some elements are altered (either high or low) they can alert presence of any possible pathology or disease.
In the case of transaminases, are enzymes that are found primarily in the liver, and are useful to know the state of health of this organ, as its values increase when there is some type of liver disease. But it is not the only cause, since they also rise when there are diseases of the heart, of the pancreas or even simple alterations or injuries in the muscles.
This is because transaminases are enzymes that provide the possibility that our body is capable of transforming substances. Thus, we not only find them in the liver, but also almost all organs. This is what happens with transaminasa GOT (glutamicooxalaacetic or AST). While the GPT transaminase is found mainly in the liver.
What are low transaminases?
When in a blood test they find us that we have the low transaminases means that some of the types of transaminases in blood are diminished (that is, below what is considered normal).
Thus, this occurs when they are below:
- Normal values of GOT (AST): 10-45 U / L in men and 5-31 U / L in women.
- Normal values of GPT (ALT): 10-43 U / L in men and 5-36 U / L in women.
So, Any value below these levels may indicate the existence of a health problem. Therefore, it is very useful to discover which are the possible causes of low transaminases.
Causes of low transaminases
Bowel disease
Some disorders and diseases that affect the intestines can influence reducing levels of transaminases in blood, in addition to other elements such as for example may be the case of certain nutrients and proteins.
On the other hand, it may happen that one type or group of transaminases go down and that the other type or group increases, because the intestines are not fully capable of absorbing many of the nutrients in the food.
Among the intestinal diseases that can reduce transaminase levels, we can mention the following:
- Crohn's disease : Chronic inflammatory condition of the intestinal tract, which mainly affects the lower portion of the small intestine and / or the large intestine.
- Celiac Disease:Digestive disease in which the person does not tolerate gluten, a protein found in cereals such as wheat, oats, barley and rye.
- Whipple's disease:Systemic disease - uncommon - caused by bacteriatropheryma whippelii, which affects the gastrointestinal tract, heart, joints, heart, lungs and nervous system.
Vitamin B6 deficiency
Given that the vitamin B6It is a water-soluble vitamin, this means that our body is not able to store it, so it is important to obtain it through our diet. However, when we follow an inadequate diet, it is possible to suffer a deficit of it.
It is a fundamental vitamin for our body as it is responsible for maintaining blood sugar levels and produces antibodies and hemoglobin, among other important functions.
In the case of a deficit of vitamin B6 it is common for transaminases to decrease, not only in the case of transaminases AST (GOT) but also ALT (GPT).
Certain diseases of the liver
Although most of the liver diseases they cause an alteration of transaminases in blood, increasing them, this is not always the case. It's what happens with the hepatitis C, an infection that produces lesions in the liver causing inflammation. With the passage of time, being a chronic condition, it ends up causing cirrhosis.
It is a disease that, for the moment, has no cure (although there are new drugs that would offer a cure rate of almost 100%), yes, there has been a lot of progress in its treatment.
On the other hand, when there are inadequate levels of albumin in blood can also influence the decrease of transaminases in blood. Albumin is a protein produced in the liver, so that when any liver disease causes damage to the liver cells, they can not carry out their functions normally, unable to synthesize albumin.
How are low transaminases treated?
As we can see, given that in many cases the decrease in transaminases in blood corresponds to some type of pathology or disease, it is necessary to arrive at the diagnosis of the cause that is causing this reduction so that the medical treatment is the most appropriate possible. This article is published for informational purposes only. It can not and should not replace the consultation with a Physician. We advise you to consult your Trusted Doctor. ThemesLiver diseases Liver
