Diagnostic Laboratory Section

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ALT

Increased ALT activity is noticed in

• Hepatocytes damage (reversible or irreversible) because of a variety of insults (inflammation, hypoxia, toxicants, trauma etc.)
• ALT may be released from hepatocytes during reparative stages of liver diseases.
• In canine  increased serum ALT activity is associated with glucocorticoid therapy.
• Canine serum ALT activity may be increased in dogs treated with Phenobarbital.
• Spontaneous muscle damage typically is not associated with increased serum ALT activity, but increase ALT activity does occur with some muscle diseases in dog and cats.