Q: One year back the doctors did a skin test for my husband, and the reading they found was 10. He had taken BCG in chilhood. So the doctors advised him to take preventive medicine for TB since the reading said he was exposed. After a week they took a blood sample of him and it was found that the count of the liver enzymes were very high. So they immediately stopped that and started doing blood test every month. First they said it might be Hepatitis A, and after sometime they said that he might be suffering from Hepatitis E. But they did not give him any medicine. They said for liver problem they would not recommend any medicine. We started giving him low fat, low protein diet etc. After few months the count reduced. Again last month when his blood test was done, they found he is having cholesterol problem (high LDL & low HDL) and the liver count has increased. These are like: ALT:155 units Alk Phosphatase:137 units Now they do not know why this has happened. They might be doing liver CT scan etc. Can you please suggest me what I should do in this situation? I am concerned since I am afraid that some his liver has been damaged. He does not take alcohol and does not smoke.

A:I understand your dilemma, but you would realize that the information you have sent is not in a form that I can offer advice. I would like to make some queries and comments as follows: 1. TB test: I do not know why this test was done in the first place. Did your husband have fever then? And did he continue to have it when the preventive medicine for TB (what that means exactly should also be included in your email)? Ordinarily positive skin test has no meaning and does not need treatment. So the decison to treat might have been taken due to some other reasons I do not know. 2. I presume that he has continuously been having high enzyme levels, in which case I would want to see a date wise chart. If so, the possibilities are TB medicine itself, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Have these possibilities been considered. It would help if I get an access to a case summary that your doctor could prepare and let you have for despatch to us. 3. It would help to know where exactly are you geographically located to assess what kind of medical facilities you might be offered. I would await to hear more about your husband's condition which is important to settle quickly.