Acute – a short sharp illness that may be severe but from which most people will recover in a few weeks without lasting effects.
Albumin – the main protein in human blood, manufactured by the liver. Low albumin levels are
an indication of liver damage.
ALT – alanine aminotransferase, a liver enzyme that enters the blood following liver
damage. An ALT test is used, for example, to monitor and assess the degree of damage in
patients infected with chronic hepatitis B and other types of hepatitis.
Ascites – accumulation of fluid in the abdomen (peritoneal cavity) which surrounds the bowel,
leading to enlarged, swollen and tender abdomen.
AST – aspartate aminotransferase, a liver enzyme but less specific to the liver than ALT (see above). A raised AST level may follow a heart attack, for example.
Autoimmune – a type of disease where the body’s defences attack another part of the body.
Bile – a yellow/green fluid made by the liver to help digest foods containing fat and cholesterol.
Bilirubin – a breakdown product of haemoglobin. Increases of bilirubin in the blood can indicate
liver disease, especially disease of the bile ducts.
Carbohydrate – a substance that provides energy or fuel for your body. ‘Simple’ carbohydrates are sugars, as found in fruit, honey and jam. ‘Complex’ carbohydrates are starches, as found in bread, rice and potatoes.
Cholestasis – a condition where the flow of bile from the liver is reduced.
Chronic – an illness that lasts a long time (more than six months), possibly for the rest of a
person’s life.
Compensated cirrhosis – a stage at which the liver is severely scarred but there are enough
healthy cells for the liver to perform all of its functions adequately. People who have compensated cirrhosis may feel quite well.
Decompensated cirrhosis – where the liver is not capable of performing all of its normal functions. People may experience a variety of symptoms, including ascites, bleeding varices, jaundice and hepatic encephalopathy.
Encephalopathy – disturbed brain function leading to mental confusion, drowsiness and memory loss. Encephalopathy can follow the development of cirrhosis, for example.
End-stage liver disease – another term used for cirrhosis and indicates that a person is in poor health. It can be more useful to describe a person’s cirrhosis as either ‘compensated’ or ‘decompensated’ (see above).
Fibrosis – where scar tissue is formed in an inflamed liver. Fibrosis can take a variable time to develop and, even with scar tissue present, the liver keeps on functioning quite well. However, continued building up of scar tissue may lead to cirrhosis.
Hepatic – anything relating to the liver.
Hepatitis – any inflammation of the liver is known as hepatitis, whether its cause is viral or not. A sudden inflammation of the liver is known as acute hepatitis. Where inflammation of the liver lasts longer than six months the condition is known as chronic hepatitis.
Hepatocyte – a liver cell.
Hepatologist – a doctor who specialises in liver diseases.
Hepatomegaly – enlarged and tender liver.
Inferior vena cava – the large vein that carries blood back to the heart from the lower part of the body.
Inflammation – the first response of the immune system to infection, commonly characterised by heat, swelling, pain and tenderness.
INR time – International normalised ratio, a term used to describe how quickly your blood clots and your risk of bleeding. As the liver makes clotting factors and platelets, it is a useful indicator of how well your liver is functioning. Normal INR is around 1 and a higher INR indicates increased risk of bleeding and poorer blood clotting.
Haemorrhage - bleeding, an escape of blood from any of the blood vessels. It can be inside the body, such as bleeding from a stomach ulcer or bleeding oesophageal varices. It can also be external bleeding, such as from a deep cut to the skin.
Jaundice – a condition in which the whites of the eyes go yellow and in more severe cases the
skin also turns yellow. This is caused by a rise in bilirubin plasma (containing yellow pigment)
which is normally disposed of by the liver.
Oesophagus – the gullet. This important part of the digestive system is a tube through which food and liquid travels from the mouth to the stomach.
Portal vein – the vein that carries blood from the bowel and the spleen to the liver.
Portal hypertension – a complication of cirrhosis where there is increased blood pressure in the portal vein. Portal hypertension is characterised by impaired or reversed blood flow, an enlarged spleen, and protruding veins in the oesophagus and stomach.
Protein – the active molecule in cells that determines the physical structure of the organs
and tissue that make up your body. Proteins also control the biological and chemical reactions within your body.
Varices – expanded and protruding (dilated) veins that run along the wall under the lining of
the upper part of the stomach and lower end of the gullet. If they rupture or break they will bleed
heavily (variceal bleeding).