There are 3 types of tests that are usually needed to check for liver disease: liver function tests, liver imaging tests, and liver tissue tests.

I. Liver Function Tests

Liver function tests require blood to be collected and then analyzed in the laboratory of the laboratory department to see if the levels of some enzymes and proteins in the blood are within the normal range, in order to diagnose and monitor liver disease or liver injury. There are two main categories:

One is to determine whether the liver can normally produce certain proteins and clear bilirubin; the other is to see if there is liver damage or if a disease is affecting the ability of liver cells to respond.

The following eight are indicators that may appear on a liver function test. The normal ranges below describe typical values for liver function tests in the average adult male. Depending on the test instrument, the exact value of the normal range may vary. Just look at the reference values on your own guts.

1. alanine aminotransferase, the normal value is 7-55U/L, this is an enzyme in the liver that helps the body metabolize proteins, and its value is too high, which represents that there may be liver damage that leads to the entry of this enzyme into the bloodstream in the liver.

2. Aspartate aminotransferase, the normal value is 8-48U/L, this is an enzyme that metabolizes alanine, this value is abnormally high, which means that there may be liver damage, disease or muscle damage.

3. Alkaline phosphatase, with a normal value of 45-115 U/L, is an enzyme found in the liver, bile ducts, and bones. Higher than normal values indicate possible liver damage, bile duct obstruction, bone disease, and other conditions.

4. Bilirubin, the normal value is 0.1-1.2mg/dL, bilirubin is a substance produced when red blood cells rupture, and will be excreted through the liver in the feces, the value is too high, which means that there may be liver damage, disease or other types of anemia.

5. Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, the normal value is 9-48U/L, this is an enzyme in the blood, this value is too high, indicating that there may be liver and gallbladder damage.

6. L-lactate dehydrogenase, the normal value is 122-222U/L, this is an enzyme in the liver, this value is too high, indicating that there may be liver damage or other diseases.

7. Prothrombin time, the normal value is 9.5-13.8 seconds, which says how long it takes for the blood to clot, and an elevated value suggests that there may be liver damage or that you may be taking blood-thinning medications.

8. Serum albumin and total protein, the normal range for albumin is 3.5-5.0 g/dL, and the normal range for total protein is 6.3-7.9 g/dL, and a lower-than-normal value of these two numbers suggests that liver injury or disease may be present.

Note: Certain medications need to be stopped before the liver enzyme test, and fasting is generally required for at least 8 hours. How long you need to stop taking the medication or fasting depends on the test, so listen to your doctor's instructions.

Two, liver imaging

It is a kind of examination to observe the shape of the liver and the surrounding tissues, can use ultrasound, CT and nuclear magnetic *** vibration, etc., to take the image of the liver, in order to help determine the liver area whether there is a mass, fluid, obstruction, and other unusual conditions.

Third, liver biopsy

Usually, a needle is used to puncture and remove a portion of the liver tissue, which is then viewed under a fiberoptic microscope to see the shape of the stem cells or if there are any other abnormalities. This is also divided into two parts:

One, it is sent to a pathology lab to check the traits of the liver tissue itself for diseases such as liver cancer or cirrhosis. Two, it is sent to a microbiology lab to check for the presence of disease-causing pathogens and to determine whether there is an infection, such as tuberculosis.

The results usually come back in 2-4 days, and in the case of checking for infections, it can take a couple weeks.