title: Relationship between blood mercury concentrations and serum γ-glutamyltranspeptidase level in Korean adults using data from the 2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mercury and serum γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) play an important role in anti-oxidant mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate the association between blood mercury concentrations and GGT in Korean men and women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the relationship between blood mercury concentration and serum GGT among 1959 subjects (aged 20-87 y; 965 men, 994 women), using data from the 2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for high GGT (≥ 75 th percentile) for both men and women were calculated across blood mercury quartiles using multiple logistic regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean values of BMI, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were highest in the highest quartile of blood mercury concentrations in both sexes. GGT levels gradually increased in accordance with blood mercury quartiles. Compared to the lowest quartile of blood mercury concentrations, the adjusted OR (95% CI) for high GGT of the highest quartile was 2.59 (1.51-4.43) in men and 2.03 (1.13-3.67) in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a positive relationship between blood mercury concentration and serum GGT level in a representative population sample of Korean adults.
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Yonsei University Graduate School of Medicine, Republic of Korea.
authors: Min-Seok
authors: MS
authors: Seo
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Hye-Ree
authors: HR
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jae-Yong
authors: JY
authors: Shim
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Hee-Taik
authors: HT
authors: Kang
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: ukyjhome@yuhs.ac.
authors: Yong-Jae
authors: YJ
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D056910:Republic of Korea; D055815:Young Adult; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Mercury; Oxidative stress; γ-Glutamyltranspeptidase