Elevated Liver Enzymes in Celiac Disease
By: Rachel Toon,RN
1-20-18

I came across an article that caught my eye regarding celiac disease and liver abnormalities. Liver abnormalities can refer to elevated liver enzymes that can be caused from multiple liver conditions. In celiac disease, those liver conditions can range from a mild inflammation of the liver, know as celiac hepatitis, to fatty liver disease, and even chronic liver failure. The liver plays an important role to the body and has hundreds of functions; some of those include:

• Manufactures and excretes bile, which aids in digestion
• Manufacturers proteins, such as albumin and blood clotting factors
• Breaks down medications and drugs, including alcohol
• Detoxifies blood
• Breaking down insulin and other hormones in the body
• Manufactures cholesterol and triglycerides
• Stores glycogen and then converts and excretes to glucose, as needed
• Stores certain vitamins, iron, and chemicals
• Destroys old red blood cells (RBCs)
• Converts ammonia to urea
• And much more...

According to Ruba Azzam, MD ,a modest elevation of liver enzymes (AST, ALT) is found to be common in untreated celiac disease, occurring in 15%-55% of patients. Also, it is important to note that celiac disease has been found in as many as 9% of patients with elevated liver enzymes. Although more research needs to be done it is expected that liver enzymes will normalize on a gluten-free diet in 6-12 months with certain liver conditions, but has not been proven for all. Celiac disease patients should follow up with their physician if liver enzymes have not begun to normalize after 6 months. If you have unexplained liver enzymes that are elevated and have not been diagnosed with celiac disease, it would be beneficial to have further testing.

To go into greater detail regarding this topic, click on the link below and read the entire article.

Liver Abnormalities in Celiac Disease
By Ruba Azzam, MD