Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST, ASAT, SGOT) Blood Test

AST is an enzyme your liver makes. Other organs, like your heart, kidneys, brain, and muscles, also make smaller amounts. When your liver is damaged, it puts more AST into your blood, and your levels rise.

The normal range of values for AST (SGOT) is about 5 to 40 units per liter of serum.

A high AST level is a sign of liver damage, but it can also mean you have damage to another organ that makes it, like your heart or kidneys. That's why doctors often do the AST test together with tests of other liver enzymes. Elevated levels of the two enzymes (ALT and AST), which are involved in producing amino acids, are an indicator of liver damage. The scientists found that levels of ALT or AST at or above 25 international units per liter of blood were predictive of cancer risk.

Low blood levels of AST are considered normal, although some studies show that values below 16 increase the risk of all-cause mortality.