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ALT & Test for Gallstones

You think you are having a heart attack---intense pain right under your sternum. But you have a gall bladder problem: either inflammation or stones. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) test is a tool to help you figure out which.

  1. Gallstones

    • The gall bladder is a small sac attached to your liver that produces bile, a substance necessary in the metabolism of fats. Gallstones are calcified bodies that develop inside your gall bladder. When they grow large and block the bile duct, they are extremely painful.

    Liver Panel

    • The gall bladder is part of the hepatic (liver) system. The ALT test uses levels of alanine aminotransferase in a blood sample, then compares those levels with other indicators, e.g., aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin and total protein. These form a profile---called a "liver panel"---that denotes different hepatic problems.

    Zeroing In

    • ALT is an enzyme synthesized in the liver. Levels of ALT are elevated under duress, but elevated ALT could be caused by many conditions, including malaria, Crohn's disease and viral hepatitis. An elevated ALT with suppressed bilirubin, for example, is more definitive of gallstones, which your physician could confirm with an ultrasound.

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