High aspartate aminotransferase is mainly seen in viral hepatitis as well as non-viral liver diseases, but also in diseases of the heart muscle, skeletal muscle and kidney.
1. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) is mainly found in myocardium, liver, skeletal muscle and renal tissues. Most of the AST is found in mitochondria, and when hepatocytes and other cells are damaged, AST is released into the bloodstream, and there is an elevation of blood AST.
2. Elevated AST is most commonly seen in acute or chronic viral hepatitis, as well as in non-viral liver diseases such as alcoholic liver disease, drug-induced hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, cirrhosis, and fatty liver, etc. Cholestasis inside and outside the liver can also have a mild elevation of AST.
3. Acute myocardial infarction, pulmonary infarction, renal infarction, pancreatic infarction, shock, and progressive myasthenia and other skeletal muscle diseases can also lead to varying degrees of AST elevation.
It is recommended that the patient consult with a specialist to determine the cause of the disease in conjunction with the degree of AST elevation and serum enzyme markers such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT).