Re: Lab question for those that need or have had a transplant

[Guest guest]

My GTT was 1345 and Alk Phos 506 when I was listed. My hep. at Baylor

All Saints in Texas wanted me listed due to the looks of my liver

cirrhosis. I am compensating pretty well right now, but she feels like

I am at a greater risk to go into acute liver failure.

I was diagnosed at Stage 4 when they found my PSC. It was the first

time I had ever had elevated LFT's. Now that I know the symptoms I

would say I have symptoms for at least 15 years maybe longer. But my

blood work was always normal.

PSC '07 Listed

[Guest guest]

>

> Can you please tell me what level your GGT and alk phos were at when

> you were told that you needed a transplant? Thank you.

I don't think that GGT and alk phos levels are relevant to the need

for a liver transplant. Bilirubin, albumin and clotting factors

provide much better indicators of how well the liver is functioning

and if it needs to be replaced.

The enzyme numbers (ALT, AST, GGT and Alk Phos) will tend to fluctuate

much more than bilirubin or albumin, because they indicate what damage

has happened to the liver recently. A spike in damage, such as might

occur during a cholangitis attack, doesn't cause immediate loss of

function, but accumulated over many years does lead to loss.

To use an automotive analogy, you wouldn't use the blue smoke coming

out of an old junker to determine if it needed oil. You'd measure the

oil with the dipstick. But the blue smoke is an indication that

something is wrong and oil is being burned in excessive amounts. GGT

and alk phos are like the blue smoke indicating that something is

wrong and to some extent how fast the liver is being damaged.

Bilirubin, albumin and INR are like the dipstick that measure how much

is left. Hope this analogy still makes some sense to folks, it is a

rare car nowadays that burns oil. Although once in a while I see one

trailing a cloud of blue and know that there goes one sick car. Almost

like looking at photos of me in a group with my clearly jaundiced

features prior to transplant - no mistaking the one with liver

disease. And no, I don't recall my GGT or alk phos prior to

transplant, they really had no relevance at that point.

Tim R, ltx 4/4/98, 6/19/07 & 7/7/07

[Guest guest]

My ALP was 361, AST 71, GGT 331 andLDH 273 about 2 weeks before transplant.

My new liver last week was ALP 212, AST 48, GGT 188 and LDH 190. The new

liver is not much better than the old one, but the old was causing me

hepatic pulmonary syndrome (low o2 levels, so I couldn't breathe). This was

resolved within two weeks of transplant, so I don't regret it in any way.

My levels were only just increasing from year to year, and have been out of

normal range for about 10 years.

Penny T

Ps my transplant was 3 months ago

[Guest guest]

itsme512002 wrote:

> Can you please tell me what level your GGT and alk phos were at when

> you were told that you needed a transplant?

Right before my transplant, my Alk P was 443, but that's pretty close to

the level it had been at for the last 15 years or so. In fact it was

highest right after I was diagnosed. They didn't even test for GGT at

Vanderbilt, so I don't know what it was before transplant.

athan

[Guest guest]

I've been diagnosed for two years now.

In 2000, my alk phos levels were in the mid 100's, creeping up to in the 600's in 2006 when diagnosed. Since being on Ursodiol, my alk phos levels have dropped to the 300's.

All other counts in the past were mildly elevated and since being on Ursodiol, have dropped in the normal range. I've been asypmptomatic, knock on wood, this entire time.

C.

itsme512002 wrote:> Can you please tell me what level your GGT and alk phos were at when > you were told that you needed a transplant?Right before my transplant, my Alk P was 443, but that's pretty close to the level it had been at for the last 15 years or so. In fact it was highest right after I was diagnosed. They didn't even test for GGT at Vanderbilt, so I don't know what it was before transplant.athan Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your favorites, no registration required and great graphics – check it out!