Aspaate transaminase, an enzyme, is most abundant in

In old literature, it was called as serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT). AST needs pyridoxal phosphate (vitamin B6) as co-enzyme. ii. Normal serum level of AST ranges from 8 to 20 U/L. It is a marker of liver injury and shows moderate to drastic increase in parenchymal liver diseases like hepatitis and malignancies of the liver. iii. AST was used as a marker of myocardial ischemia in olden days. The level is significantly elevated in myocardial infarction. The time course of AST increase in blood is given in Figure 23.2. iv. But troponins have replaced AST as a diagnostic marker in ischemic hea disease.Ref: DM Vasudevan, Page no: 269