What causes AST to be released?

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AST is an intracellular enzyme housed in liver cells (and other tissues). It appears in the blood when those cells are damaged and their membranes lose integrity, allowing the enzyme to leak out. The direct trigger for AST release is cellular injury or necrosis, so conditions that damage hepatocytes lead to elevated AST. Inflammation can accompany injury but isn’t the direct cause of release, and viral infection causes damage that results in release, while dehydration by itself does not cause hepatocellular injury and thus does not directly drive AST leakage.