title: Relationship between Serum Gamma-glutamyl Transferase Levels with Ascending Aortic Dilatation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increased serum gamma-glutamyl transferase levels (GGT) have been shown to directly promote oxidative stress. Previous studies have shown the relationship between the dilatation of the ascending aorta and oxidative stress. This study was designed to examine the relationship between serum GGT concentrations with dilatation of the ascending aorta.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety patients with ascending aortic dilatation and 90 age-sex-matched patients without aortic dilatation were included in the study. The patients were evaluated by a complete transthoracic echocardiographic examination including measurement of the aortic dimensions, where a diameter of 3.7 cm and above was accepted as ascending aortic dilatation. Serum GGT concentration was measured in all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the group with aortic dilatation, HT frequency, serum uric acid, hs-CRP and GGT levels, the LV mass index, and the left atrial volume index were found to be higher than the control group. The logistic regression analysis showed that only HT frequency (OR:1.23, 95% CI 1.11-1.35, p value: 0.02), the LA volume index (OR: 1.34, 95% CI 1.21±1.4, p:0.005) and serum GGT levels (OR: 1.12, 95% CI 1.01±1.20, p:0.03) were found to be independent predictors. There was a significant correlation between serum GGT levels and ascending aortic diameter (r: 0.268, p<0.001). In the ROC curve analysis, AUC was 0.659 (0.580±0.738) for a 23.5 serum GGT cut-off value (64% sensitivity and 53% specificity).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that serum GGT concentration was significantly associated with ascending aortic dilatation. Large epidemiological studies are required to correlate the findings from this study with clinical outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ordu University Faculty of Medicine, Ordu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ordu University Faculty of Medicine, Ordu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ordu University Faculty of Medicine, Ordu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zeki Yuksel
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Gunaydin
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Ordu University Faculty of Medicine, Ordu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozgur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Enginyurt
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ordu University Training and Research Hospital, Ordu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yavuz Kursat
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Topcu
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saritemur
keywords: Gamma-glutamyl transferase; aortic dilatation; oxidative stres