title: Gamma-glutamyl transferase and atrial fibrillation in patients with coronary artery disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The association between gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) is uncertain.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 5501 consecutive patients with CAD, all of whom had baseline GGT measurements available. The primary endpoint was presence of AF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall 809 patients (14.7%) had AF on hospital admission. Patients with AF had significantly higher GGT activity compared with patients in sinus rhythm (median [25th-75th percentile]: 52.0 [32.9-96.0] U/L versus 34.8 [23.8-55.9] U/L, P<0.001). The prevalence of AF increased from 8.6% of patients in the first GGT decile to 30.3% of patients in the tenth decile (P<0.001). After multivariable adjustment, GGT activity remained independently associated with the probability of the presence of AF (adjusted adds ratio=1.66, 95% confidence interval 1.53-1.81, P<0.001 for each standard deviation increment in the GGT logarithmic scale). GGT predicted the probability of AF with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.6496, 95% confidence interval 0.6287 to 0.6705, P<0.001 indicating moderate strength to discriminate between patients with and without AF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with CAD, elevated GGT activity is independently associated with the presence of AF. GGT may be a circulating marker of the risk for AF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Adult Cardiology, Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität, Munich, Germany. Electronic address: ndrepepa@dhm.mhn.de.
authors.forename: Gjin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ndrepepa
authors.affiliation: Department of Adult Cardiology, Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Erion
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Xhepa
authors.affiliation: Department of Adult Cardiology, Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Roisin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Colleran
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Siegmund
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.affiliation: Department of Adult Cardiology, Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cassese
authors.affiliation: Department of Adult Cardiology, Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fusaro
authors.affiliation: 1 Medizinische Klinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl-Ludwig
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Laugwitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Adult Cardiology, Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität, Munich, Germany; DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kastrati
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Coronary artery disease; Gamma-glutamyl transferase; Prevalence