What does it mean if both direct and indirect bilirubin is high?

What does it mean if both direct and indirect bilirubin is high?

Elevated levels may indicate liver damage or disease. Higher than normal levels of direct bilirubin in your blood may indicate your liver isn’t clearing bilirubin properly. Elevated levels of indirect bilirubin may indicate other problems.

What happens when indirect bilirubin is high?

Indirect bilirubin is the difference between total and direct bilirubin. Common causes of higher indirect bilirubin include: Hemolytic anemia. This means your body is getting rid of too many red blood cells.

What is direct bilirubin and indirect bilirubin?

Some bilirubin is bound to a certain protein (albumin) in the blood. This type of bilirubin is called unconjugated, or indirect, bilirubin. In the liver, bilirubin is changed into a form that your body can get rid of. This is called conjugated bilirubin or direct bilirubin.

What causes increased direct bilirubin?

The conjugated (direct) bilirubin level is often elevated by alcohol, infectious hepatitis, drug reactions, and autoimmune disorders. Posthepatic disorders also can cause conjugated hyperbilirubinemia.

When is indirect bilirubin too high in blood?

Indirect bilirubin may be too high when the liver is unable to adequately process (conjugated) bilirubin or when there is abnormal destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis). Meanwhile, direct bilirubin may be too high if the liver is unable to pass on the bilirubin after it has been conjugated. Want help making sense of your lab results?

How does SLCO1B1 affect direct bilirubin levels?

Variations in SLCO1B1 affect the rate and efficiency of bilirubin conjugation and, therefore, influence your indirect bilirubin levels [ 38 ]. MRP2 is a gene that affects how well the liver excretes certain compounds such as direct bilirubin. Variations in this gene can reduce excretion and lead to higher direct bilirubin levels [ 38 ].

How is bilirubin produced in Gilbert’s syndrome?

Overview. Gilbert’s (zheel-BAYRS) syndrome is a common, harmless liver condition in which the liver doesn’t properly process bilirubin. Bilirubin is produced by the breakdown of red blood cells.

What’s the normal level of bilirubin in a blood test?

For those under 18, the normal level will be will be 1 mg/dl. Normal results for conjugated (direct) bilirubin should be less than 0.3 mg/dl.

What is the normal level of indirect bilirubin?

An example of normal values for adults is: Total bilirubin: 0.3 to 1.9 mg/dL Direct bilirubin: 0.0 to 0.3 mg/dL Indirect bilirubin is the difference between total and direct bilirubin.

Variations in SLCO1B1 affect the rate and efficiency of bilirubin conjugation and, therefore, influence your indirect bilirubin levels [ 38 ]. MRP2 is a gene that affects how well the liver excretes certain compounds such as direct bilirubin. Variations in this gene can reduce excretion and lead to higher direct bilirubin levels [ 38 ].

When does direct bilirubin cause jaundice in an adult?

Jaundice can occur in adults when bilirubin is higher than 2.3 mg/dL [ 37 ]. The UGT1A1 enzyme, which converts indirect bilirubin into direct bilirubin, is well-developed in the adult liver, but not in the livers of newborns.

What are the normal bilirubin levels in newborns?

Common bilirubin levels in infant newborns: 1 day after birth: direct 0.2, indirect 3.5 mg/dl, total is 3.7 2 days: direct 0.3, indirect 5.0, and total is 5.3 1 week to 10 days after birth: indirect 13.0, direct 1.0, and total bilirubin 14.0 mg/dl.