P1.45 Gamma-Glutamyltransferase - Another Marker of the Cardiovascular Risk and Early Arterial Damage?

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether gamma-glutamyl-transferase (γ-GT) is the marker of the cardiovascular (CV) risk assessed by the SCORE system and early arterial damage.

Methods

Serum levels of γ-GT, lipid profile, inflammatory markers and plasma glucose of 209 subjects (40-65 years old, 97 males) without clinically overt cardiovascular disease were checked. CV risk was evaluated by SCORE system. Parameters of arterial stiffness — aortic augmentation index (AIx/HR) and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (PWV) - were obtained by applanation tonometry. Endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in the brachial artery and carotid IMT were assessed using high resolution B-mode ultrasonography.

Results

We found that SCORE system is associated with the γ-GT. SCORE risk significantly increased with each quartile of γ-GT (ANOVA, p = 0.003). γ-GT was significantly higher in high (≥5%) vs. low (<5%) CV risk groups (43.82±48.31 vs. 24.55±22.66, p<0.0001). In the univariate analysis γ-GT was significantly associated with the FMD in the brachial artery (p = 0.025), carotid-radial PWV (p = 0.042) and the presence of the carotid plaques (CP) (p = 0.002). The multiple regression analysis revealed that only gender (beta = -0.28, p<0.001), age (beta = 0.301, p<0.001) and triglycerides (beta = -0,147, p = 0.046) were associated with FMD. PWV was independently associated with gender (beta = -0.319, p<0.001), glucose (beta = 0.248, p = 0.001) and age (beta = 0.218, p = 0.003).

Conclusions

The study suggests that serum γ-GT is a surrogate marker of CV risk. Elevation of γ-GTis associated with the increased endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffness and carotid plaques, but not in the independent manner.