Alcoholic liver disease laboratory findings

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: M. Khurram Afzal, MD [2]

Overview

It is important to take a complete history and find out about the patient’s alcohol use and current signs and symptoms for alcoholic liver disease. As laboratory tests do not give the definitive diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease. It is also important to rule out other causes of liver disease such as, chronic viral hepatitis which could co-exist, autoimmune hepatitis, hemochromatosis and drug related hepatotoxicity. Initial assessment must include a complete blood count, hepatic panel (ALT, AST, bilirubin, GGT, alkaline phosphatase), INR and PT.

Laboratory Findings

Laboratory findings consistent with the diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease include:^[1]

Elevated liver enzymes:^[2]
- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level will be greater than that of Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
- AST and ALT levels both will be below 300 IU/ml
- The key to diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease is that the AST to ALT ratio will be greater than 2
Elevated levels of gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) will indicate heavy alcohol use and may also indicate liver injury. This test is sensitive but not specific^[3]
Elevated triglyceride levels (hypertriglyceridemia)
Elevated uric acid levels (hyperuricemia)
Low potassium levels (hypokalemia)
Low magnesium levels (hypomagnesemia)
Elevated index of red blood cell size; increased mean corpuscular erythrocyte volume (MCV)^[4]^[5]
Increased number of white blood cells (leukocytosis)
Decreased number of platelets (thrombocytopenia)^[4]^[5]
Increased International Normalized Ratio (INR)^[4]^[5]
Increased bilirubin levels, prolonged prothrombin time (PT) and decreased circulating albumin (hypoalbuminemia) are seen in alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis^[5]
Iron overload:^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]
- Elevated serum ferritin
- Increased transferrin saturation
- Elevated hepatic iron concentration

2010 AASLD/ACG Alcoholic Liver Disease Guidelines (DO NOT EDIT)[10]

2010 AASLD/ACG Alcoholic Liver Disease Guidelines (DO NOT EDIT)^[10]

Laboratory Tests : Guidelines (DO NOT EDIT)^[10]

Class I
1. ” For patients with a history of alcohol abuse or excess and evidence of liver disease, further laboratory tests should be done to exclude other etiologies and to confirm the diagnosis. (Level of evidence: C) ”

References

↑ Marsano LS, Mendez C, Hill D, Barve S, McClain CJ (2003). “Diagnosis and treatment of alcoholic liver disease and its complications”. Alcohol Res Health. 27 (3): 247–56. PMID 15535453.
↑ Diehl AM (2002). “Liver disease in alcohol abusers: clinical perspective”. Alcohol. 27 (1): 7–11. PMID 12062630.
↑ Moussavian SN, Becker RC, Piepmeyer JL, Mezey E, Bozian RC (1985). “Serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and chronic alcoholism. Influence of alcohol ingestion and liver disease”. Dig. Dis. Sci. 30 (3): 211–4. PMID 2857631.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 Kazemi-Shirazi L, Veloso MP, Frommlet F, Steindl-Munda P, Wrba F, Zehetmayer S, Marsik C, Ferenci P (2008). “Differentiation of nonalcoholic from alcoholic steatohepatitis: are routine laboratory markers useful?”. Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. 120 (1–2): 25–30. doi:10.1007/s00508-007-0921-1. PMID 18239988.
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 ^5.3 Das SK, Mukherjee S, Vasudevan DM, Balakrishnan V (2011). “Comparison of haematological parameters in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease”. Singapore Med J. 52 (3): 175–81. PMID 21451926.
↑ Whitfield JB, Zhu G, Heath AC, Powell LW, Martin NG (2001). “Effects of alcohol consumption on indices of iron stores and of iron stores on alcohol intake markers”. Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 25 (7): 1037–45. PMID 11505030.
↑ Cylwik B, Chrostek L, Szmitkowski M (2008). “[The effect of alcohol on iron metabolism]”. Pol. Merkur. Lekarski (in Polish). 24 (144): 561–4. PMID 18702344.
↑ Chapman RW, Morgan MY, Laulicht M, Hoffbrand AV, Sherlock S (1982). “Hepatic iron stores and markers of iron overload in alcoholics and patients with idiopathic hemochromatosis”. Dig. Dis. Sci. 27 (10): 909–16. PMID 7117074.
↑ Fletcher LM, Halliday JW, Powell LW (1999). “Interrelationships of alcohol and iron in liver disease with particular reference to the iron-binding proteins, ferritin and transferrin”. J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 14 (3): 202–14. PMID 10197487.
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 “www.aasld.org” (PDF). Retrieved 2012-10-27.

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[pmid15535453-1] Marsano LS, Mendez C, Hill D, Barve S, McClain CJ (2003). “Diagnosis and treatment of alcoholic liver disease and its complications”. Alcohol Res Health. 27 (3): 247–56. PMID 15535453.

[pmid12062630-2] Diehl AM (2002). “Liver disease in alcohol abusers: clinical perspective”. Alcohol. 27 (1): 7–11. PMID 12062630.

[pmid2857631-3] Moussavian SN, Becker RC, Piepmeyer JL, Mezey E, Bozian RC (1985). “Serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and chronic alcoholism. Influence of alcohol ingestion and liver disease”. Dig. Dis. Sci. 30 (3): 211–4. PMID 2857631.

[pmid18239988-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 Kazemi-Shirazi L, Veloso MP, Frommlet F, Steindl-Munda P, Wrba F, Zehetmayer S, Marsik C, Ferenci P (2008). “Differentiation of nonalcoholic from alcoholic steatohepatitis: are routine laboratory markers useful?”. Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. 120 (1–2): 25–30. doi:10.1007/s00508-007-0921-1. PMID 18239988.

[pmid21451926-5] 5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 ^5.3 Das SK, Mukherjee S, Vasudevan DM, Balakrishnan V (2011). “Comparison of haematological parameters in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease”. Singapore Med J. 52 (3): 175–81. PMID 21451926.

[pmid11505030-6] Whitfield JB, Zhu G, Heath AC, Powell LW, Martin NG (2001). “Effects of alcohol consumption on indices of iron stores and of iron stores on alcohol intake markers”. Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 25 (7): 1037–45. PMID 11505030.

[pmid18702344-7] Cylwik B, Chrostek L, Szmitkowski M (2008). “[The effect of alcohol on iron metabolism]”. Pol. Merkur. Lekarski (in Polish). 24 (144): 561–4. PMID 18702344.

[pmid7117074-8] Chapman RW, Morgan MY, Laulicht M, Hoffbrand AV, Sherlock S (1982). “Hepatic iron stores and markers of iron overload in alcoholics and patients with idiopathic hemochromatosis”. Dig. Dis. Sci. 27 (10): 909–16. PMID 7117074.

[pmid10197487-9] Fletcher LM, Halliday JW, Powell LW (1999). “Interrelationships of alcohol and iron in liver disease with particular reference to the iron-binding proteins, ferritin and transferrin”. J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 14 (3): 202–14. PMID 10197487.

[urlwww.aasld.org-10] 10.0 ^10.1 “www.aasld.org” (PDF). Retrieved 2012-10-27.

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