title: Practical guidelines for examination of adults with asymptomatic hypertransaminasaemia.
abstract: The causes of sustained elevation of serum transaminases in asymptomatic adults, both hepatic and extrahepatic, are varied. In order to reach an aetiological diagnosis, a standardized protocol should be applied, aimed firstly at ruling out the most common causes, such as chronic hepatitis (viral or autoimmune), metabolic diseases, and toxic liver diseases. Several biochemical patterns, which take into account transaminase, cholestatic enzyme, muscle enzyme, ferritin and ceruloplasmin levels, as well protein electrophoresis and autoantibody measurement, will identify most causes. In cases in which a diagnosis cannot be reached with the use of these non-invasive methods, a needle liver biopsy will be justified.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Hepatología, Hospital Clínico, Barcelona, España; Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, España. Electronic address: bruguera@clinic.ub.es.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruguera
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D006801:Humans; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
chemical_list: D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: AST/ALT ratio; Cociente AST/ALT; Liver function tests; Pruebas hepáticas; Serum transaminases; Transaminasas