Meaning of the test to measure the concentration of the enzyme aldolase

The aldolase enzyme level test is a blood test commonly used to monitor the progress of damage in diseases that occur in muscle tissue or the liver.

Aldolase is an enzyme that breaks down sugar molecules in the body to create energy for all body activities. The enzyme aldolase is found in every cell in the body. However, it is most concentrated in skeletal muscle cells, heart and liver tissue.
Thus, the aldolase enzyme level test is useful in finding muscle or liver disease. For example, if the heart muscle is damaged by a heart attack, the aldolase level will be elevated. If you have cirrhosis, your aldolase enzyme levels will also increase.

The aldolase enzyme test is considered to be relatively specific for muscle tissue destruction. When muscle tissue damage occurs, cells are destroyed and aldolase solutions enter the bloodstream. As such, quantitative aldolase assays are used to monitor the progression of muscle damage in myopathies, eg muscular dystrophy. It should be noted, however, that there are many myopathies that are not associated with elevated blood aldolase activity.
According to the results obtained, the blood aldolase level is very high in patients with dermatomyositis, polymyositis and muscular dystrophy. Aldolase levels are also increased in patients with muscle necrosis, muscle trauma, or infectious muscle diseases such as cysticercosis. In addition, elevated aldolase levels are warning signs of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and obstructive jaundice.
In addition, the aldolase enzyme level test is also used to distinguish causes of muscle weakness, such as muscle weakness due to damaged nerves that control muscle or from muscle abnormalities. People with muscle weakness due to neurological diseases such as myasthenia gravis, polio, and multiple sclerosis often have normal levels of the enzyme aldolase. In contrast, people with muscle abnormalities that cause muscle weakness have very high levels of the enzyme aldolase.

3.1 Preparation Before taking blood, the patient should not be physically active or exercise too hard to avoid falsifying the test results. Patients should tell their doctor about their recent exercise level so that they can advise on reducing exercise a few days before the test. Patients should inform their doctor about any medications they are taking, as some drugs affect blood aldolase levels.
When doing the test, the patient should wear a short-sleeved shirt so that the medical staff can easily draw blood from the arm.
3.2 Procedure The medical professional draws blood according to the following procedure:
Wrap a bandage around your arm to prevent blood from circulating Disinfect the blood collection site with alcohol Inject a needle into the patient's vein Withdraw a tube of blood Remove the bandage around the patient's arm after sufficient blood has been drawn Apply cotton wool to the injection site to stop bleeding. The level of pain depends on the skill of the medical staff, the condition of the vein, and the patient's sensitivity to pain. After taking blood, the patient needs a bandage, gently pressing on the needle puncture area to stop the bleeding. After the test, the patient can return to normal activities.
3.3 Reading test results Normal readings
Adults: 3 - 8.2 Sibley-Lehninger units/dl or 22-59 mU/L at 37°C (in SI units) Children: 2 times adult value Infant: 4 times adult value.

Abnormal index
Aldolase enzyme levels can be increased due to liver disease (hepatitis, liver cancer), muscle disease (muscular dystrophy, polymyositis, dermatomyositis ), muscle injury (trauma) due to impact), muscle infection (helminthiasis), necrosis (intestinal necrosis), myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism,...
Aldolase enzyme levels may decrease due to muscular dystrophy, intolerance hereditary fructose intolerance or late muscular dystrophy.
The aldolase enzyme level test is very useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of the progression of lesions or myopathy. When this test is indicated, the patient should follow all instructions given by the healthcare professional. This makes the blood sampling process smooth, safe, and gives quick and accurate results.
Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the major hospitals to ensure professional quality with a team of leading medical doctors, a system of modern equipment and technology. The examination process at the hospital always meets international standards with comprehensive consulting, examination and treatment services.
With a system of modern equipment, customers when choosing to do tests here can be completely assured of the accuracy of test results.