What is the reason for the high glutamyl transpeptidase?

Glutamyl transpeptidase is a tissue belonging to human cells and is generally found widely in the liver. Under normal circumstances, the glutamyl transpeptidase index can maintain human health. When the body's glutamyl transpeptidase is too high or the index is elevated, it can easily cause some liver diseases. Alcoholic liver disease or fatty liver disease can easily lead to high levels of glutamyl transpeptidase in the body.

What causes elevated glutamyl transpeptidase?

1. In acute viral hepatitis, the liver cells adjacent to the necrotic area have hypersynthesis of glutamyl transpeptidase, causing elevated serum glutamyl transpeptidase.

2: Changes in serum glutamyl transpeptidase during cirrhosis depend on whether the intrahepatic lesions are active and their causes. It is usually normal during the inactive phase, but tends to rise if accompanied by inflammation and progressive fibrosis. In the early stages of primary or secondary biliary cirrhosis, glutamyl transpeptidase is often elevated. Some people believe that glutamyl transpeptidase increases in the early stages of liver cirrhosis, but is very low in severe patients, especially in advanced cases. This may be due to the loss of the ability of liver cells to synthesize glutamyl transpeptidase. Therefore, it is believed that if glutamyl transpeptidase is high in patients with liver cirrhosis, it indicates that the disease is still in the early stages.

3. When the intrahepatic or extrahepatic bile duct is obstructed, the excretion of glutamyl transpeptidase is blocked and refluxes into the blood with bile, causing an increase in serum glutamyl transpeptidase;

4. Glutamyl transpeptidase levels are almost always elevated in patients with alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis, becoming an important feature of alcoholic liver disease;

5. In chronic active hepatitis, glutamyl transpeptidase is often 1-2 times higher than normal. If it is elevated for a long time, there may be a tendency for liver necrosis.

6. Glutamyl transpeptidase is often elevated in patients with fatty liver, but in general, in cases of nutritional fatty liver, serum glutamyl transpeptidase activity is usually no more than 2 times the normal value;

7: In patients with primary or metastatic liver cancer, the enzyme is mostly moderately or highly increased, which can be several times or even dozens of times greater than normal, while other system tumors are mostly normal. However, the results of r-GT measurement for liver cancer overlap a lot with other hepatobiliary diseases, especially with jaundice cases. Therefore, the single measurement of glutamyl transpeptidase has no diagnostic value for liver cancer. ALP is negative, but alkaline phosphatase and glutamyl transpeptidase are elevated, especially in the absence of jaundice and normal or only slightly elevated transaminase levels, a person should be highly alert to the possibility of liver cancer.

High risk

Hazard 1: If the glutamyl transpeptidase level is too high due to primary or metastatic liver cancer, the inflammation of the cancer tissue itself or its surrounding area will stimulate the permeability of the liver cell membrane, further worsening the condition.

Hazard 2: For other diseases such as myocardial infarction, acute pancreatitis, etc., high glutamyl transpeptidase levels are not conducive to the recovery of the disease. On the contrary, it will further aggravate the condition.

Hazard three: Elevated glutamyl transpeptidase levels caused by obstructive jaundice, acute hepatitis, active chronic hepatitis, biliary tract infection, and cirrhosis will lead to hypersynthesis of liver enzymes in hepatocytes adjacent to the necrotic area. If the level is elevated for a long time, there may be a tendency to liver necrosis.

Hazard 4: If the high glutamyl transpeptidase level is caused by physiological reasons such as unreasonable diet, abnormal work and rest, and taking drugs that damage the liver, especially if the high glutamyl transpeptidase level is caused by taking certain drugs, the drugs should be stopped immediately, otherwise it will increase the burden on the liver.