High serum carotenoids are inversely associated with serum gamma-glutamyltransferase in alcohol drinkers within normal liver function.
BACKGROUND
Many studies have reported that the consumption of alcohol induces the generation of free radicals. Moreover, recent studies suggest that serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma-GTP) within its normal range might be an early marker of oxidative stress. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that serum antioxidant carotenoids would be inversely associated with serum gamma-GTP in alcohol drinkers within normal liver function.


METHODS
A total of 266 Japanese men who had received health examination in 2003 participated in the study. The associations of serum gamma-GTP and serum-carotenoid concentrations stratified by alcohol intake levels were evaluated cross-sectionally. The participants were divided into three groups according to their ethanol intake level (non-drinker, less than 1 g/day; light drinker, 1-25 g/day; and moderate and heavy drinkers, 25+ g/day). The multivariate-adjusted geometric means of the serum gamma-GTP concentrations in each tertile of the serum-carotenoid concentrations were calculated after adjustment for ethanol intake, age, body mass index, total cholesterol, triacylglycerols, current tobacco use, and habitual exercise.


RESULTS
The serum gamma-GTP concentrations were significantly high in accordance with the ethanol intake level. In moderate and heavy drinkers, the multivariate-adjusted geometric means of serum gamma-GTP concentrations were significantly low in accordance with the tertiles of the serum lycopene, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
The serum antioxidant carotenoids were inversely associated with alcohol-induced increases of serum gamma-GTP in moderate and heavy drinkers within normal liver function.
Sugiura
Minoru
M
Department of Citrus Research, National Institute of Fruit Tree Science, 485-6 Shimizu-Okitsu-nakachou, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka 424-0292, Japan. msugiura@affrc.go.jp
Nakamura
Mieko
M
Ikoma
Yoshinori
Y
Yano
Masamichi
M
Ogawa
Kazunori
K
Matsumoto
Hikaru
H
Kato
Masaya
M
Ohshima
Makoto
M
Nagao
Akihiko
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D016014:Linear Models; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
D002338:Carotenoids; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase