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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you have Gilbert syndrome, you have inherited an abnormal gene that controls the enzyme that helps break down bilirubin. Bilirubin is a yellowish pigment and is a normal waste product from the breakdown of old red blood cells. Bilirubin travels through your bloodstream to the liver. Normally an enzyme in liver cells breaks down the bilirubin and removes it from the bloodstream. The bilirubin passes from the liver into the intestines with bile. It's then excreted in stool. A small amount of bilirubin remains in the blood.
When you have Gilbert syndrome, you have a lower level of the enzyme that breaks down bilirubin. Consequently, excessive amounts of a form of bilirubin called unconjugated bilirubin can build up in your blood.
