Persistently raised aspartate aminotransferase (AST) due to macro-AST in a rheumatology clinic

Abstract Macrocomplexes between immunoglobins and aspartate aminotransferase (macro-AST) may result in persistently increased AST concentration. The presence of macro-AST in patients has been implicated in unnecessary investigations of abnormal liver function tests. We report the case of a 44-year-old female who presented to the rheumatology clinic with a 12-months’ history of constant widespread pain affecting her limbs and was found to have an elevated AST concentration. Further information from her GP revealed a 14-years’ history of elevated AST with otherwise normal liver function. Previous abdominal ultrasound and two liver biopsies carried out 2 years apart were normal. This prompted further analytical investigation by the biochemistry department which identified macro-AST as the cause. This case illustrates that persistently raised isolated AST concentration with no other abnormal indices may warrant macroenzyme analysis potentially avoiding unnecessary invasive investigations.

• Publication year

  2015

• Venue

  Diagnosis

• Publication date

  2015-06-01

• Fields of study

  Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1515/dx-2014-0065PMID 29540021
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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