🏥 Liver Function Test (LFT) Panel – Detailed Breakdown

1. Albumin

• ✅ Fasting: Yes (8–10 hrs recommended)
• 🎯 System: Liver, Blood
• 📊 Measures: The main protein made by the liver; maintains osmotic pressure
• 📉 Low Albumin: Chronic liver disease, malnutrition, nephrotic syndrome
• 📈 Rarely high: Usually due to dehydration
• 🩺 Used to assess: Liver synthesis function, nutritional status

2. Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP)

• ✅ Fasting: Yes
• 🎯 System: Liver, Bones, Bile Ducts
• 📊 Measures: Enzyme from liver, bile ducts, and bones
• 📈 High ALP: Bile duct obstruction, cholestasis, bone disease, liver tumors
• 📉 Low ALP: Malnutrition, zinc/magnesium deficiency
• 🩺 Used to assess: Biliary function, liver obstruction, bone turnover

3. Bilirubin – Direct (Conjugated)

• ✅ Fasting: Yes
• 🎯 System: Liver, Gallbladder
• 📊 Measures: Conjugated bilirubin processed by the liver for excretion
• 📈 High: Obstructive jaundice, hepatitis, cirrhosis
• 🩺 Used to assess: Liver's excretory function

4. Bilirubin – Total

• ✅ Fasting: Yes
• 🎯 System: Liver, RBCs
• 📊 Measures: Sum of direct + indirect bilirubin
• 📈 High: Jaundice, hemolysis, liver dysfunction
• 🩺 Used to assess: Overall bilirubin load and liver excretion capacity

5. AST (Aspartate Transaminase / SGOT)

• ✅ Fasting: Yes
• 🎯 System: Liver, Heart, Muscle
• 📊 Measures: Enzyme released when liver or muscle is damaged
• 📈 High: Hepatitis, myocardial infarction, muscle injury
• 🩺 Used to assess: Hepatocellular injury

6. ALT (Alanine Transaminase / SGPT)

• ✅ Fasting: Yes
• 🎯 System: Liver (more liver-specific than AST)
• 📊 Measures: Enzyme released mainly by liver cells
• 📈 High: Hepatitis, fatty liver, cirrhosis, drug toxicity
• 🩺 Used to assess: Liver cell integrity

7. Total Protein

• ✅ Fasting: Yes
• 🎯 System: Liver, Immune System
• 📊 Measures: Sum of albumin and globulin in blood
• 📉 Low: Liver disease, kidney loss, malnutrition
• 📈 High: Infections, multiple myeloma
• 🩺 Used to assess: Overall protein synthesis and immune status

8. A/G Ratio (Albumin/Globulin Ratio)

• ❌ Fasting: Not essential if Albumin & Globulin are measured fasting
• 🎯 System: Liver, Immune System
• 📊 Measures: Balance between albumin and globulin
• 🔁 Normal Ratio: ~1.0–2.1
• 📉 Low Ratio: Chronic liver disease, autoimmune disease
• 📈 High Ratio: Rare; dehydration or low globulin states
• 🩺 Used to detect: Protein balance and liver disease patterns

9. Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT / Gamma GT)

• ✅ Fasting: Yes
• 🎯 System: Liver, Bile Ducts
• 📊 Measures: Enzyme involved in bile transport
• 📈 High: Alcohol abuse, cholestasis, liver tumors
• 🩺 Used to confirm: Cause of high ALP (liver vs bone)

10. Bilirubin – Indirect (Unconjugated)

• ✅ Fasting: Yes
• 🎯 System: Liver, RBCs
• 📊 Measures: Bilirubin not yet processed by the liver
• 📈 High: Hemolysis, Gilbert’s syndrome, transfusion reactions
• 🩺 Used to assess: Pre-hepatic jaundice or hemolytic disease

11. Globulin

• ✅ Fasting: Yes
• 🎯 System: Immune system, Liver
• 📊 Measures: Proteins including antibodies, enzymes, transport proteins
• 📈 High: Chronic infections, multiple myeloma, autoimmune diseases
• 📉 Low: Immunodeficiency, liver disease
• 🩺 Used to assess: Immune health and protein synthesis

✅ LFT Summary Table

🧪 Recommended Additional Tests with LFTs:

• CBC – to detect anemia, infection (important in hepatitis or cirrhosis)
• Prothrombin Time (PT/INR) – for liver’s ability to synthesize clotting factors
• Ultrasound Abdomen – for fatty liver, cirrhosis, obstruction
• HBsAg, Anti-HCV – for hepatitis screening
• Liver Fibrosis Markers – if chronic disease is suspected