Search resultsDifferential Responses of Serum Gamma-glutamyltransferase to Alcohol Intake in Japanese Males
Title
Differential Responses of Serum Gamma-glutamyltransferase to Alcohol Intake in Japanese Males
Publication type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2003
Authors
Journal
Acta Medica Okayama
Volume
57
Issue
4
Pagination
171 - 178
Date published
2003
ISBN
0386300X (ISSN)
Keywords
Adult, Aged, alcohol consumption, Alcohol Drinking, article, aspartate aminotransferase, biological marker, Biological Markers, controlled study, correlation analysis, cytosol aminopeptidase, Daily alcohol consumption, data analysis, Female, gamma glutamyltransferase, gamma-Glutamyltransferase, Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), Good responder and poor responder, human, human experiment, Humans, Japan, Life Style, Liver Diseases, Alcoholic, liver injury, male, Middle Aged, normal human, phenotype, Random Allocation
Abstract
We studied the association of γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and other serum markers of liver injury with daily alcohol consumption in a healthy population of 1,043 Japanese males. A positive correlation between daily alcohol consumption and biochemical markers, such as log GGT (r = 0.432), log AST (r = 0.244) or log LAP (r = 0.246), was seen in all drinkers. However, there was a negative correlation, such as log GGT (r = -0.434), log AST (r = -0.424) or log LAP (r = -0.430), in heavy drinkers who consumed more than 70 g ethanol a day. On the other hand, a positive correlation, such as log GGT (r = 0.426), log AST (r = 0.247) or log LAP (r = 0.216) was found in moderate drinkers who consumed less than 70 g ethanol a day. Interestingly, there was a tendency toward negative association between alcohol consumption and the Tokyo University ALDH2 Phenotype Screening Test (TAST) score in the heavy drinkers, and there was a tendency toward positive association between GGT and TAST score in this group. Our results suggest that there are 2 groups of drinkers, those with elevated GGT (good responders) and those with normal GGT (poor responders) despite heavy drinking.