ISSN 1016-5169 | E-ISSN 1308-4488
Archives of the Turkish Society of Cardiology
Increased serum gamma-glutamyltransferase activity in patients with metabolic syndrome [Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars]
Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars. 2011; 39(2): 122-128 | DOI: 10.5543/tkda.2011.01205

Increased serum gamma-glutamyltransferase activity in patients with metabolic syndrome

Hüseyin Bozbaş1, Aylin Yıldırır2, Emir Karaçağlar2, Özlem Demir2, Taner Ulus2, Serpil Eroğlu2, Alp Aydınalp2, Bülent Özin2, Haldun Müderrisoğlu2
1Guven Hospital, Cardiology Clinic, Ankara, Turkey
2Başkent University, Department Of Cardiology, Ankara, Turkey


OBJECTIVES
Accumulating data indicate that serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity represents a true marker of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and has prognostic importance. In this study, we sought to evaluate serum GGT activity in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS).

STUDY DESIGN
We enrolled 232 patients (mean age 60.4 years) from our outpatient cardiology clinic, 117 with and 115 without MetS (control group) as defined by the ATP-III criteria. The results of serum liver function tests including serum GGT and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS
The two groups were similar with regard to age, sex, smoking, and family history of coronary artery disease (p>0.05). The prevalences of hypertension and dyslipidemia were significantly higher in patients with MetS. Compared with controls, patients with MetS had significantly higher serum GGT [(median 21, interquartile range (16-33) vs. 19 (14-26) U/l; p=0.008] and C-reactive protein levels [6.2 (3.6-9.4) vs. 5.0 (3.1-7.0) U/l; p=0.044]. A high GGT activity (>40 U/l) was determined in 14.5% of the patients with MetS and in 4.4% of the control subjects (p=0.012). Serum GGT level showed significant correlations with MetS (r=0.24, p=0.001), CRP (r=0.20, p=0.003), triglyceride (r=0.18, p=0.006), HDL cholesterol (r=-0.19, p=0.004), aspartate aminotransferase (r=0.15, p=0.02), alanine aminotransferase (r=0.32, p=0.001), and alkaline phosphatase (r=0.16, p=0.01). This significant association continued only for MetS (β=-0.25, p=0.03), HDL cholesterol (β=-0.18, p=0.03), and alkaline phosphatase (β=0.17, p=0.01) in multivariate regression analysis.

CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that patients with MetS have higher serum GGT and CRP levels compared with controls. This increased GGT level might be a marker of increased oxidative stress and premature atherosclerosis.

Keywords: Biological markers/blood, gamma-glutamyltransferase/blood, inflammation, metabolic syndrome X; oxidative stress

How to cite this article
Hüseyin Bozbaş, Aylin Yıldırır, Emir Karaçağlar, Özlem Demir, Taner Ulus, Serpil Eroğlu, Alp Aydınalp, Bülent Özin, Haldun Müderrisoğlu. Increased serum gamma-glutamyltransferase activity in patients with metabolic syndrome. Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars. 2011; 39(2): 122-128

Corresponding Author: Hüseyin Bozbaş, Türkiye
Manuscript Language: English


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Journal Citation Indicator: 0.18
CiteScore: 1.1
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SCImago Journal Rank: 0.348

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