title: Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase activity is increased in patients with calcific aortic valve stenosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A growing body of data indicates an independent association between serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity, a marker of increased oxidative stress, and cardiovascular diseases. The process of calcific aortic valve disease has been shown to present characteristics of atherosclerosis. The study aim was to evaluate the possible role of serum GGT in patients with calcific aortic valve disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The results of patients' echocardiography studies from 2005 for the presence of calcific aortic valve disease in the forms of aortic stenosis (AS) and aortic valve calcification (AVC) without significant valve stenosis, were retrospectively evaluated. Age-and gender-matched patients with normal aortic valve morphology were selected at random as a control group. A total of 383 patients was enrolled into the study (126 with AS, 133 with AVC, 124 controls). Serum GGT activity, along with other liver enzyme analyses and laboratory results, were determined and compared among the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age, gender and clinical and laboratory results were similar among the three groups. Median serum GGT levels in the AS, AVC and control groups were 23.0 U/1 (mean 31.5 +/- 24.9 U/1), 22.0 U/1 (mean 27.6 +/- 18.6 U/) and 18.0 U/l (mean 22.4 +/- 16.4 U/l), respectively. Compared to controls, AS patients had significantly higher serum GGT and C-reactive protein levels, while the differences between AVC patients and controls for these parameters were not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study results suggest that serum GGT activity is increased in patients with calcific AS. These increases seem to occur in advanced rather than milder forms of calcific aortic valve disease.
authors.affiliation: Baskent University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Ankara, Turkey. hbozbas@gmail.com
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bozbas
authors.forename: Aylin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yildirir
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Abdulkadir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cakmak
authors.forename: Emir
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karacaglar
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Serpil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eroglu
authors.forename: Bahar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pirat
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozin
authors.forename: Haldun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Muderrisoglu