Health Glossary

Meaning of Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST/SGOT)

The aspartate aminotransferase (AST) test is a blood test that checks for liver damage and is a part of liver profile. AST is also called SGOT (serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase). It is an enzyme produced by your liver.

Author 廖永熙 Jacky Lio

Date 2021-07-16

Updated on 2021-07-21

Meaning of AST (aka SGOT) Variation in the normal ranges of AST/SGOT Causes of higher-than-normal AST levels Causes of a very high AST levels Other conditions not tied to your liver can also raise your AST level

Meaning of AST (aka SGOT)

SGOT is released into blood when the liver is damaged. High SGOT in blood could also mean damage to the heart or kidneys. A high AST with a normal ALT may mean that the AST is coming from a different part of the body other than the liver.

Variation in the normal ranges of AST/SGOT

Normal ranges vary as below:

Males	10 to 40 units/L
Females	9 to 32 units/L

Causes of higher-than-normal AST levels

Chronic (ongoing) hepatitis
Cirrhosis (long-term damage and scarring of the liver)
Blockage in the bile ducts that carry digestive fluid from the liver to the gallbladder and intestine
Liver cancer

Causes of a very high AST levels

Acute viral hepatitis (inflammation of the liver due to viral infection)
Damage to the liver from drugs or other toxic substances like alcohol
A blockage in blood flow to the liver

Other conditions not tied to your liver can also raise your AST level

Burns
Heart attack
Intense exercise
Muscle injury
Pregnancy
Pancreatitis
Seizures
Surgery

Some diseases or medicines you take can cause a “false positive” result on the AST test. This means your test is positive, even though you don’t have liver damage. A false positive result can be due to Diabetic ketoacidosis, where your body can’t make enough insulin, or due to intake of some antibiotics, such as erythromycin estolate or para-aminosalicylic acid (Paser).

Source

1What Is an Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) Test?

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Author

廖永熙 Jacky Lio

MRCP (UK), MBBS (Lond.), Chief Medical Officer of Bowtie

Mr. Jacky Lio plays a crucial role in driving collaborative partnerships with healthcare providers and setting the vision for Bowtie's customer health experiences.

He is trained in the UK as a Specialist in Acute Medicine and with over 10 years of service in the NHS. He believes in the universal need for basic healthcare protection.