The Association between an Increased Level of Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase and Systolic Blood Pressure in Diabetic Subjects

The Association between an Increased Level of Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase and Systolic Blood Pressure in Diabetic Subjects

KAZUHIKO KOTANI,^1,2 HISASHI SHIMOHIRO,³ SEIJI ADACHI⁴ and NAOKI SAKANE²

¹Division of Health Administration and Promotion, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
²Department of Preventive Medicine and Diabetes Education, Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, National Hospital Organization Kyoto Medical Center, Kyoto, Japan
³Division of Clinical Laboratory, Tottori University Hospital, Yonago, Japan
⁴Division of General Medicine and Community Medicine, Fujii Masao Memorial Hospital, Kurayoshi, Japan

Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) is an enzyme present in serum and on most cell surfaces and serves as an oxidative stress marker. Although serum GGT is associated with hypertension development, little data are available on the associations between GGT and hypertension among populations with diabetes mellitus (DM). Our aim was to investigate the potential association between the changes in systolic or diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) and the GGT level in type 2 DM subjects, in comparison with non-DM subjects. In 179 non-DM and 177 DM subjects, SBP/DBP, body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma glucose, serum asparate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and GGT were measured at the baseline and after a 1-year period. Between these 2-measurement points, in non-DM subjects, SBP and DBP levels were significantly increased, while GGT tended to increase. In contrast, in DM subjects, the mean levels of SBP, DBP and GGT remained unchanged. Multivariate analysis revealed that in non-DM subjects the degree of increase in SBP was significantly and positively correlated to that of GGT (β = 0.165), along with age and BMI. Likewise, the increase in DBP was correlated to that of GGT in non-DM subjects (β = 0.170). In contrast, in DM subjects, the degree of increase in SBP was significantly correlated to that of only GGT (β = 0.166). These results suggest that the presence of DM may attenuate the effects of GGT on DBP.

keywords —— liver enzyme; gamma-glutamyl transferase; body mass index; weight change

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2008, 214, 321-325

Correspondence: Kazuhiko Kotani, M.D., Ph.D., Division of Health Administration and Promotion, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-cho, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.

e-mail: kakotani@grape.med.tottori-u.ac.jp