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Stacy A. Kahn, MD

Attending Physician Boston Children's Hospital

Q: My 14 year old daughter is on 6mp and her liver enzyme level is 116. The doctor said that was high but nothing needs to be done about it. Could you shed some light on why nothing needs to be done about a high level?

A: Liver enzyme levels can be elevated for any number of reasons including: medications such as 6-MP, infection, IBD-associated liver disease and other medical conditions. A transient or mild elevation in a liver enzyme test is not typically a cause for concern, but means that the tests should be repeated to ensure that the levels have returned to normal and are not increasing. If the liver enzymes remain elevated additional blood tests and/or imaging of the liver may be warranted. It may also be useful to have the 6-MP level checked to make sure that the blood levels are in the target range. hide answer