The inability to synthesize albumin is a predominant feature of chronic liver disease. Serum levels are elevated in various conditions, among which hepatobiliary disorders. It is a highly sensitive indicator of hepatocellular damage. When such damage occurs, ALT is released from the liver cells into the bloodstream, resulting in abnormally high serum levels. The normal range for infants is twice that of adults.
All antibodies are immune globulins .
1 antigen any substance which can elicit in a vertebrate host the formation of specific antibodies or the generation of a specific population of lymphocytes reactive with the substance. Antigens may be protein or carbohydrate, lipid or nucleic acid, or contain elements of all or any of these as well as organic or inorganic chemical groups attached to protein or other macromolecule. Whether a material is an antigen in a particular host depends on whether the material is foreign to the host and also on the genetic makeup of the host, as well as on the dose and physical state of the antigen. 1 AST aspartate aminotransferase the enzyme that catalyzes the reaction of aspartate with 2-oxoglutarate to give glutamate and oxaloacetate. Its concentration in blood may be raised in liver and heart diseases that are associated with damage to those tissues.