Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase is Related to Microalbuminuria in Diabetic Patients

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to investigate whether serum GGT levels are associated with microalbuminuria in patients with diabetes mellitus.

MATERIAL and METHODS: The study included 107 diabetic patients. Albuminuria was assessed using urinary albumin creatinine ratio (UACR). Normoalbuminuria and microalbuminuria were defined as UACR <0.030 and UACR of 0.030-0.300, respectively.

RESULTS: Fifty-six (52.3%) of the 107 patients had microalbuminuria, whereas 51 (47.7%) patients were normoalbuminuric. Serum GGT levels were significantly higher in patients with microalbuminuria than in those with normoalbuminuria [27 (4-315) IU/L vs. 21 (8-77) IU/L, p: 0.011; respectively]. Serum GGT values were divided as high or low according to the median value. High serum GGT levels were more frequent in patients with microalbuminuria than in those with normoalbuminuria [35 (62.5%) vs. 17 (33.3%), p: 0.002]. UACR value s were positively correlated with the serum GGT level (r: 0.331, p: <0.001), age (r: 0.195, p: 0.044), and duration of diabetes mellitus (r: 0.202, p: 0.037), and negatively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (r: -0.441, p: <0.001). In the multivariate analysis (binary logistic regression analysis), eGFR and GGT status were found to be independent risk factors for microalbuminuria.

CONCLUSION: Serum GGT levels were significantly higher in microalbuminuric diabetic patients. The underlying cause of this finding should be elucidated.