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. 2022 Dec 21;11(1):15. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11010015

Table 1.

Thresholds of ALT and ALP and typical features in patients with liver adaptation and liver injury.

Description Thresholds of Liver Tests Criteria and Characteristic Features
Liver
adaptation
ALT ≤ 5 times of ULN and/or
ALP ≤ 2 times of ULN
● Develops at low doses of a drug
● Presumably the majority of drugs have the potency of causing rare but clinically not apparent liver adaptation
● No signs of liver injury in histology
● Normalization or stabilization of liver tests is commonly observed whether the drug use is stopped or continued
Idiosyncratic
liver injury
ALT ≥ 5 times of ULN and/or ALP ≥ 2 times of ULN ● Develops at low doses of a drug
● Signs of liver injury found in histology
● Cessation of drug use is mandatory
and immediate
● Worsening if drug use is continued
● Most drugs cause idiosyncratic DILI
● Risk of acute liver failure
Intrinsic
liver injury
ALT ≥ 5 times of ULN and/or
ALP ≥ 2 times of ULN
● Develops with overdosed drugs
● Signs of liver injury found in histology ● Cessation of drug use is mandatory and immediate
● Caused by a few drugs
● Risk of acute liver failure