Objective: Comparison of gamma glutamyltransferase in normal and type 2 diabetics.
Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 100 apparently normal healthy subjects and, 47 type 2 diabetic subjects were selected from either sex with ages between 18-65 years. Subjects were measured for waist/hip ratio, BMI and serum levels of ALT, AST, Alk phosphatase and glutamyl transferase (GGT). The study excluded by screening for AntiHCV, HBsAg and patients with aspartate amino transferase (SGOT), alanine amino transferase (SGPT), GGT levels more than three times the normal and subject with a total leukocyte count more than 10,000/microl.
Results: The levels of GGT levels were found to be most significant among all the liver enzymes (P = 0.001). The levels of GGT compared with type 2 diabetics was found to be significantly increased when compared with BMI, waist/circumference, cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), fasting blood sugar level and blood pressure (P = 0.001). The pearson regression analysis showed a positive relation with systolic, diastolic blood pressure and fasting blood sugar.
Conclusion: These results indicate that levels of GGT were raised with increased waist girth, BMI, blood pressure TG and low HDL, all of these are the features of metabolic syndrome according to ATP III criteria. Hence, serum GGT may be an important investigation for diabetes and metabolic syndrome.