Serum Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase Activity as a Potential Novel Cardiovascular Biomarker in COPD.
BACKGROUND
Gamma-glutamyl transferase (gamma-GT) is an enzyme present in the cell membranes, which is used as a new biomarker in prediction of inflammation, myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiac death. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum levels of gamma-GT and cardiovascular disease in subjects with COPD and the correlation between serum gamma-GT level and degree of the limitation of air flow in COPD.


METHODS
A total of 70 subjects (46.1%) with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) A-B and normal function of the liver and biliary tract (mean age [IQR] 59 [51.75-70] y; 77.1% men) and 82 subjects (53.9%) with GOLD C-D (mean age [IQR] 59 [56-66] y; 79.3% men) participated. Serum levels of gamma-GT and C-reactive protein were measured and compared between the 2 groups.


RESULTS
The serum level of gamma-GT was found to be significantly (P < .001) higher in the GOLD stage C and D group than in the GOLD stage A and B group. Mean values of C-reactive protein, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease was statistically significantly higher in subjects in the GOLD stage C and D group than in the GOLD stage A and B group (P < .001). The serum level of gamma-GT was higher in subjects with COPD with coexisting cardiovascular disease than in those without cardiovascular disease (64 units/L [interquartile range 57-72.5] vs 17.5 units/L [interquartile range 10-25]).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrate that serum levels of gamma-GT may be helpful in grading the severity of COPD as the marker of oxidative stress, and there is a strong correlation between high serum levels of gamma-GT and cardiovascular events in subjects with COPD.
Department of Chest Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras, Turkey. fulsenbatmaz@gmail.com.
Fulsen
F
Bozkus
Department of Chest Diseases, Kahramanmaras Necıp Fazıl State Hospital, Kahramanmaraş Merkez, Turkey.
Nursel
N
Dikmen
Department of Chest Diseases, Kahramanmaras Necıp Fazıl State Hospital, Kahramanmaraş Merkez, Turkey.
Hatice
H
Sahin
Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey.
Anıl
A
Samur
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase
cardiovascular disease; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; gamma-glutamyl transferase