Numerous conditions or factors can cause elevated AST liver enzymes. According to MayoClinic.com, elevated liver enzymes indicate that your liver cells have been damaged. Damage to your liver causes liver enzymes and other chemicals to leak into your bloodstream. The two enzymes most commonly seen in the blood are alanine transaminase, or ALT, and aspartate transaminase, or AST. Many causes of elevated AST liver enzymes are a result of problems the originate in organs other than the liver.
Acute Pancreatitis
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, acute pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. It occurs suddenly and often improves within several days following treatment. The NIDDK states that approximately 210,000 Americans develop acute pancreatitis each year. The most common cause of acute pancreatitis is gallstones that inflame your pancreas as they pass through your common bile duct. Gallstones are tiny, pebble-like masses of hardened bile. Common signs and symptoms associated with acute pancreatitis include elevated AST liver enzymes, upper abdominal and back pain, abdominal swelling and tenderness, nausea and vomiting, fever, elevated heart rate, dehydration and low blood pressure.
Mononucleosis
Mononucleosis, also known as the kissing disease, is a common cause of elevated AST liver enzymes. MayoClinic.com states that the virus causing mononucleosis is passed through your saliva, so you can develop this condition when you are exposed to a cough or sneeze -- or a glass or food utensil -- of an infected individual. Mononucleosis is usually caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, although similar signs and symptoms may also be caused by cytomegalovirus. Common signs and symptoms associated with mononucleosis include elevated AST liver enzymes, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, fever, swollen lymph nodes, swollen tonsils, headache, skin rash, loss of appetite, night sweats and swollen spleen. According to MayoClinic.com, mononucleosis does not usually lead to serious health complications, although some individuals with this condition may experience spleen enlargement, hepatitis, jaundice or yellowing of the skin and anemia, or decreased red blood cells.
Heart Attack
A heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction, can cause elevated AST liver enzymes. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, or NHLBI, you experience a heart attack when blood flow to a section of your heart muscle becomes blocked. If blood flow to this portion of your heart is not restored immediately, your heart muscle tissue can die, due to lack of oxygen. The NHLBI reports that heart attack is one of the leading causes of death among American men and women. Common signs and symptoms associated with a heart attack include elevated AST liver enzymes, chest pain or discomfort, pain in your neck, jaw, back, abdomen and arms, shortness of breath, vomiting, lightheadedness, fainting and nausea, or feeling sick to your stomach. According to the NHLBI, most heart attacks are caused by coronary artery disease, which results from the accumulation of plaque -- a combination of fatty and fibrous material -- on the inner walls of your arteries.
Alcoholic Hepatitis
Alcoholic hepatitis is a common cause of elevated AST liver enzymes. Alcoholic hepatitis involves liver inflammation and active cellular destruction of hepatocytes, or liver cells, due to excessive alcohol consumption. MayoClinic.com states that, although alcoholic hepatitis tends to manifest in people who drink heavily over many years, not all heavy drinkers develop this condition. In some cases, people develop alcoholic hepatitis despite having consumed only moderate amounts of alcohol. Common signs and symptoms associated with alcoholic hepatitis include loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and tenderness, jaundice or yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, fever, mental confusion and fatigue. Dr. Dicken Weatherby, a naturopathic physician and author of the textbook "Blood Chemistry and CBC Analysis," states that alcoholic hepatitis can cause AST levels 10 to 100 times above the normal reference range.
