Do you know what liver function tests include?

Modern people pay more and more attention to health issues. It is for this reason that daily physical examinations are very necessary for modern people, especially for liver health. Therefore, for modern people, when preparing for a physical examination, they must not ignore liver function tests. Of course, they must pay attention to liver function test items, so that they can have a more comprehensive physical examination and benefit their health.

For many people, especially those who are having a physical examination for the first time, they are not very clear about the liver function test items. At this time, there is no need to worry too much. In fact, you can consult a professional doctor, so that you can prepare in advance and have a smooth examination. This is very critical.

Liver function test items

1. Examination of hepatocellular damage: including serum enzymes and serum iron, etc. Serum enzyme tests are commonly used, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ACP), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT), etc.

2. Liver excretion function test: detect the liver's ability to excrete and eliminate certain endogenous (bilirubin, bile acid, etc.) or exogenous (dyes, drugs, etc.) high-intake substances.

3. Liver reserve function test: Plasma protein (ALb) and prothrombin time (PT) are used to detect the liver's synthetic function to reflect its reserve capacity.

4. Examination of liver interstitial changes: Serum protein electrophoresis has basically replaced the flocculation reaction. The degree of increase in γ-globulin can evaluate the evolution and prognosis of chronic liver disease, indicating that Kupffer cell function is impaired and cannot clear endogenous or enteric antigens in the blood circulation.

Liver function test latest items

Recently, relevant departments have added five new liver function test items, as follows:

1. Glycocholic acid (CG): When liver cells are damaged or bile is stagnant, the CG content in the blood will increase significantly, reflecting the damage of liver cells. It is more sensitive than ALT and other indicators commonly used in clinical practice. It can detect mild liver damage early and help distinguish the severity of chronic hepatitis.

2. Ferritin (SF): It is synthesized and stored in the liver. Inflammatory response of hepatocytes can increase SF synthesis, and hepatocyte degeneration and necrosis can release SF into the blood. The degree of SF increase is parallel to the severity of hepatocyte damage, but it can be significantly reduced in severe hypoproteinemia and iron deficiency anemia.

3. Prealbumin (PA): It is of certain significance for the early detection of severe hepatitis and chronic liver damage. The more serious the illness, the lower the value.

4. Transferrin (TF): It is a glycoprotein synthesized by the liver, and its main function is to transport iron. TF increases in acute hepatitis and may be low in chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. TF is decreased in many other infections, but increased in iron deficiency anemia and late pregnancy.

5. Bile acid (TBA): It is the main organic anion excreted by the liver. Its metabolism is mainly controlled by the liver. When liver function is damaged, its increase is often earlier and more obvious than bilirubin. Therefore, it can more sensitively reflect liver damage.

Therefore, for people who are preparing to undergo liver function tests, they should pay attention to the liver function test items, and then make targeted preparations according to the needs of the test process. This will allow them to complete the test more smoothly, and more importantly, they can consult a professional doctor in advance.