Common Diagnostic Enzymes
| Enzyme | Clinical Significance |
|---|---|
| ALT/AST | Liver injury (viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease). AST/ALT > 2 suggests alcoholic etiology. |
| Alkaline Phosphatase | Biliary obstruction (cholestasis), bone disease (Paget disease). |
| Amylase / Lipase | Acute pancreatitis (Lipase is more specific). |
| CK-MB | Myocardial infarction (historically important, now largely replaced by Troponins). |
| LDH | Nonspecific marker; elevated in hemolysis, tissue infarction, and certain malignancies. |
High-Yield Clinical Note:
Remember that enzyme levels in serum reflect damage to cellular integrity (leaking of intracellular enzymes into the blood), rather than a change in the enzyme’s catalytic function.