What are two primary indicators of liver injury?

ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and AST (aspartate aminotransferase) are crucial enzymes that serve as primary indicators of liver injury. When liver cells are damaged or inflamed, these enzymes are released into the bloodstream, leading to elevated levels of ALT and AST.

ALT is particularly specific to the liver and is often used as a marker for liver health, making it an important focus when assessing liver function. Elevated AST levels can indicate liver dysfunction but can also rise due to conditions affecting other organs, such as muscle injury. In a clinical setting, the ratio of AST to ALT can provide additional insights into the type of liver injury present.

In contrast, other options include different enzymes and substances that can be affected by various liver conditions but do not serve as primary indicators of liver injury. For instance, ALP (alkaline phosphatase) and GGT (gamma-glutamyl transferase) are more related to biliary obstruction rather than direct liver injury. Therefore, while these enzymes can provide useful information about liver health in specific contexts, they do not directly indicate hepatocellular damage as strongly as ALT and AST do.