Which laboratory finding is associated with liver cirrhosis?

Liver cirrhosis is characterized by extensive scarring of the liver and significant disruption to its normal function. A key feature of liver dysfunction is reflected in liver enzyme levels. In cases of cirrhosis, it is common to observe elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). These enzymes are released into the bloodstream in response to liver cell injury and are therefore markers of liver damage.

While there may be fluctuations in AST and ALT levels throughout the progression of liver disease, early in cirrhosis, these enzymes can be elevated. Over time, as the liver becomes progressively scarred and loses functional hepatocytes, the levels of these enzymes can decrease, but they are often initially elevated due to ongoing liver injury before significant cell death occurs.

The other provided laboratory findings either do not correlate with cirrhosis or are indicative of conditions that are not typical for cirrhosis, such as low bilirubin levels, which would suggest normal or decreased liver dysfunction. Therefore, the association of elevated AST and ALT levels with liver cirrhosis signifies ongoing liver injury and disruption in normal hepatic processes, making it the correct laboratory finding linked to this condition.