Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity (Jun 2024)

Serum Gamma Glutamyltransferase: A Biomarker for Identifying Postprandial Hypertriglyceridemia

  • Zheng K,
  • Li X,
  • Rong Y,
  • Wang X,
  • Hou L,
  • Gu W,
  • Hou X,
  • Guan Y,
  • Liu L,
  • Geng J,
  • Song G

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 17
pp. 2273 – 2281

Abstract

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Kunjie Zheng,1– 3 Xiaolong Li,1– 3 Yihua Rong,2 Xuejing Wang,4 Liping Hou,2 Wei Gu,2 Xiaoyu Hou,3 Yunpeng Guan,5 Lifang Liu,6 Jianlin Geng,2 Guangyao Song1,3 1Department of Internal Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Endocrinology, Hengshui People’s Hospital, Hengshui, Hebei, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Endocrinology, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People’s Republic of China; 4Hengshui People’s Hospital Statistical Office, Hengshui, Hebei, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Endocrinology, Shijiazhuang People’s Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Endocrinology, Baoding First Central Hospital, Baoding, Hebei, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Guangyao Song, Department of Endocrinology, Hebei General Hospital, 348 Heping West Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050051, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: Elevated serum gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) is an independent marker of the activation of systemic inflammation, while conditions associated with elevated triglyceride (TG) levels, such as type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, and metabolic syndrome, are associated with an increased inflammatory burden. Moreover, serum liver enzymes (GGT, alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], and alkaline phosphatase [ALP]) are associated with metabolic syndrome and its components, including hypertriglyceridemia. However, the relationship between liver enzymes and postprandial hypertriglyceridemia (PHTG) remains unclear. Therefore, in this study we conducted oral fat tolerance tests (OFTTs) to understand the differences in serum liver enzyme levels among individuals with different lipid tolerance levels and their correlation with PHTG.Patients and Methods: For the OFTT, we enrolled 202 non-diabetic volunteers whose fasting triglyceride (TG) levels were less than 1.7 mmol/L in this case-control study. The participants were categorized into two groups according to the TG levels at the 0- and 4-h OFTT: a postprandial normal TG (PNTG) group and a PHTG group. Routine fasting serum biochemical indices, liver enzyme (GGT, ALT, AST, and ALP) levels, and 0- and 4-h OFTT lipid levels were assessed.Results: The PHTG group had significantly higher serum GGT and ALT levels and a lower AST/ALT ratio than those in the PNTG group. However, no significant difference was observed in AST and ALP levels compared with the PNTG group. After adjusting for major confounders, logistic regression analysis indicated a significant correlation between serum GGT and PHTG (odds ratio = 1.168, P < 0.001), but not with ALT level, AST level, AST/ALT ratio, and ALP level. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the serum GGT level was an effective predictor of PHTG.Conclusion: Serum GGT levels are significantly associated with PHTG risk and serve as an effective biomarker for early identification.Keywords: gamma-glutamyl transferase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, inflammation, triglyceride, oral fat tolerance test

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