Created by mikeychapman
almost 11 years ago
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Question | Answer |
What is the function of the liver? | Protein synthesis (albumin), excretion, Bile production and conkugation of bilirubin with glucuronic acid |
What is Cholestasis? | A blockage of the bile duct that obstructs biule flow into the intestines |
What are the effects of cholestasis? | excess bile absorbed into blood, bilirubin deposited into tissues (Jaundice) |
What is jaundice (hyperbiliruninemia)? | deposition of excess bilirubin into tissues, causing a yellow colouring |
Name at least 5 causes of jaundice | Cholestasis, hepatocellular disease, haemolytic disease, inborn errors, reabsorption of haematoma, neonotal jaundice |
What types of jaundice are there? | unconjugated and conjugated |
What can cause Cholestasis? | malignancies, gall stones, cirrhosis, pancreatitis |
What is bilirubin? | a yellow pigment found in bile, left after older blood cells are removed |
What is the function of albumin? | To transport bilirubin to tyhe liver where it is conjugated |
what is the difference between conjugated and unconjugated bilirubin? | unconjugated contains glucuronic acid, and is water soluble, so can travel in blood |
what can be used to measure bilirubin? | blood, urine and faeces |
What is hepatitis? | liver cell damage |
what are the causes of hepatitis? | viral infections, toxins e.g paracetamol |
what are the characteristics of chronic hepatitis? | ongoing necrosis and inflammation of liver, can progress to cirrhosis, no treatment if hep c & often results in tumors |
what are the characteristics of acute hepatitis? | long incubation period, flu-like symptoms, if hep c then dioagnosis is often too late |
What is cirrhosis? | increased fibrous tissue formation leading to liver shrinkage, decreased hepatocellular function and obstruction of bile flow |
what are the first two stages before cirrhosis? | acute and chronic alcoholic liver disease |
what are the characteristics of stage 1 of alcoholic liver disease? | no biomarkers, fat deposition at the liver, mitochondrial dysfunction |
what are the characteristics of stage 2 of alocoholic liver disease? | enzyme levels elevate slightly, collagen fibers from artound the terminal hepatic venule, starving liver of O2, necrosis |
What are the characteristics of cirrhosis? | fibrosis, necrosis, liver failure, irreversible process |
Which forms of hepatitis are most common? | A, B and C |
In a CT scan, what indicates the presence of a tumor? | dark patches |
what is the main drawbacksof liver function tests? | diseases are not detectable until they are fairly advanced |
What are the liver function tests? | Bilirubins, albumin, alkaline phosphotase, ketone bodies, NH3/Urea, total proteins, transaminases, GGT, and total proteins |
Where is alkaline phosphotase found? | main sites - surface of hepatocytes, microvilli of bile ducts also - bone & kidney tissues |
What happens to ALP when a bile passages are blocked? | ALP levels rise, regurgitation into bloodstream |
how is ALP synthesised? | mechanism is unknown, trololololol xD |
What can high ALP levels indicate (dont just say liver disease, be specific sillyface) | cholestasis/obstructive jaundice at >300U/L. Hepatic injury at 300U/L. May also be high with infiltrative diseases e.g tumors |
Why do enzyme based tests use international units rather then weight? | They measure the activity of the enzyme, not the weight. |
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