Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) (SGPT) Assay Kit

Summary & Explanation
Alanine aminotransferase (glutamate-pyruvatetransaminase) belongs to the group of transaminases which catalyze the conversion of amino acids to the
corresponding a-keto acids via the transfer of amino groups; they also catalyze the reverse process. Although higher activities exist in the liver, minor
activity can also be detected in the kidneys, heart, skeletal muscle, pancreas, spleen, and lungs. Elevated levels of transaminases are indicative of myocardial
infarction, hepatopathies, muscular dystrophy, and damage to internal organs. Increased ALT activity in the serum, however, is a rather specific indicator of
damage to the liver parenchyma, while AST is not necessarily a liver-specific parameter. The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC)
recommended standardized methods for the determination of ALT with optimized substrate concentrations, use of TRIS buffer, simultaneous
preincubation of serum with buffer (to avoid competing reactions with NADH), substrate start, and pyridoxal phos-phate activation. The method described here is derived from the IFCC reference method.