Association between gamma-glutamyltransferase levels and insulin resistance according to alcohol consumption and number of cigarettes smoked.

AIM Alcohol intake may increase serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) but reduce insulin resistance. We analyzed the association between GGT and a marker of insulin resistance, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), according to the drinking and smoking status. METHODS After excluding former smokers and/or former drinkers, the data of 10,482 men who underwent general health screening were analyzed. RESULTS Alcohol consumption showed a graded association with GGT. In men with current alcohol consumption of > or =40 g per day, > or =20 cigarettes per day further increased GGT levels. Alcohol consumption showed a U-shaped association with HOMA-IR. In contrast, smoking 20-39 and > or =40 cigarettes per day increased HOMA-IR as compared with never smokers. An interaction between alcohol consumption and smoking was present for GGT (p<0.001) and HOMA-IR (p=0.059). GGT was not a significant negative predictive value for HOMA-IR regardless of the drinking or smoking status. CONCLUSIONS Although alcohol intake showed a graded association with GGT and a U-shaped association with HOMA-IR, serum GGT can be utilized as a predictor of insulin resistance in current drinkers.

[1]  S. Kono,et al.  Coffee and serum gamma-glutamyltransferase: a study of self-defense officials in Japan. , 1994, American journal of epidemiology.

[2]  K. Tatara,et al.  Coffee consumption and decreased serum γ-glutamyltransferase: a study of middle-aged Japanese men , 2000, European Journal of Epidemiology.

[3]  Y. Yoon,et al.  Association between cigarette smoking and metabolic syndrome: the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. , 2005, Diabetes care.

[4]  K. Tatara,et al.  Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes in middle-aged Japanese men. , 2004, Diabetes care.

[5]  P. Giral,et al.  Letter regarding article by Ruttmann et al, "gamma-Glutamyltransferase as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality: an epidemiological investigation in a cohort of 163,944 Austrian adults". , 2006, Circulation.

[6]  H. Brenner,et al.  Synergism between smoking and alcohol consumption with respect to serum gamma‐glutamyltransferase , 2009, Hepatology.

[7]  M. Ishizaki,et al.  Alcohol consumption, homeostasis model assessment indices and blood pressure in middle-aged healthy men , 2004, Journal of Human Hypertension.

[8]  E. Vartiainen,et al.  Determinants of gamma-glutamyltransferase: positive interaction with alcohol and body mass index, negative association with coffee. , 1997, American journal of epidemiology.

[9]  J. Lamy,et al.  [Serum gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase and alcoholism. Diagnosis and control of withdrawal]. , 1975, La Nouvelle presse medicale.

[10]  K. K. Sato,et al.  Liver Enzymes Compared With Alcohol Consumption in Predicting the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes , 2008, Diabetes Care.

[11]  R. Vasan,et al.  Alcohol consumption and the prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome in the US.: a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. , 2004, Diabetes care.

[12]  S. Haffner,et al.  Liver enzymes, the metabolic syndrome, and incident diabetes: the Mexico City diabetes study. , 2005, Diabetes care.

[13]  R. Mcdermott,et al.  γ‐Glutamyltransferase, Obesity, Physical Activity, and the Metabolic Syndrome in Indigenous Australian Adults , 2009, Obesity.

[14]  C. Ricci,et al.  Increased serum gamma‐glutamyl‐transpeptidase concentration is associated with nonalcoholic steatosis and not with cholestasis in patients with chronic hepatitis C , 2007, Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology.

[15]  S. Chang,et al.  Elevated serum gamma-glutamyltransferase levels are independently associated with insulin resistance in non-diabetic subjects. , 2009, Diabetes research and clinical practice.

[16]  Toru Kita,et al.  Life style and cardiovascular risk factors in the Japanese population--from an epidemiological survey on serum lipid levels in Japan 1990 part 1: influence of life style and excess body weight on HDL-cholesterol and other lipid parameters in men. , 2003, Journal of atherosclerosis and thrombosis.

[17]  J. Whitfield.  Gamma Glutamyl Transferase , 2001, Critical reviews in clinical laboratory sciences.

[18]  D. Jacobs,et al.  Is serum gamma-glutamyltransferase a biomarker of xenobiotics, which are conjugated by glutathione? , 2008, Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology.

[19]  Correlation between insulin resistance and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase sensitivity in light drinkers. , 2003, Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research.

[20]  B. Fagerberg,et al.  Alcohol consumption, the metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in 58-year-old clinically healthy men (AIR study). , 2002, Clinical science.

[21]  Ross J. Harris,et al.  Gamma-Glutamyltransferase Is Associated With Incident Vascular Events Independently of Alcohol Intake: Analysis of the British Women’s Heart and Health Study and Meta-Analysis , 2007, Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology.

[22]  T. Miida,et al.  Regular alcohol consumption improves insulin resistance in healthy Japanese men independent of obesity. , 2007, Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry.

[23]  R. Vasan,et al.  Alcohol Consumption and the Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome in the U.S.: A cross-sectional analysis of data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey , 2004 .

[24]  K. Suzuki,et al.  Coffee consumption and decreased serum gamma-glutamyltransferase: a study of middle-aged Japanese men. , 2000, European journal of epidemiology.

[25]  R. Klein,et al.  Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase level and peripheral arterial disease. , 2008, Atherosclerosis.

[26]  K. Tatara,et al.  Serum γ-Glutamyltransferase and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes in Middle-Aged Japanese Men , 2004 .

[27]  E. Vartiainen,et al.  Joint effects of coffee consumption and serum gamma‐glutamyltransferase on the risk of liver cancer , 2008, Hepatology.

[28]  H. Hashimoto,et al.  Association between cigarette smoking, metabolic syndrome, and carotid arteriosclerosis in Japanese individuals. , 2005, Atherosclerosis.

[29]  M. Ishizaki,et al.  Alcohol Consumption, Serum gamma‐Glutamyltransferase Levels, and Coronary Risk Factors in a Middle‐Aged Occupational Population , 2003, Journal of occupational health.

[30]  D. Jacobs,et al.  ReviewIs Serum Gamma Glutamyltransferase a Marker of Oxidative Stress? , 2004, Free radical research.

[31]  M. M. Joosten,et al.  Moderate alcohol consumption increases insulin sensitivity and ADIPOQ expression in postmenopausal women: a randomised, crossover trial , 2008, Diabetologia.

[32]  H. Concin,et al.  γ-Glutamyltransferase as a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease Mortality: An Epidemiological Investigation in a Cohort of 163 944 Austrian Adults , 2005, Circulation.

[33]  Significant correlation between insulin resistance and serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP) activity in non-drinkers. , 2002, Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research.

[34]  Y. K. Kim,et al.  The association of serum gamma glutamyltransferase with components of the metabolic syndrome in the Korean adults. , 2007, Diabetes research and clinical practice.

[35]  D. Robinson,et al.  The relationship between serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase level and reported alcohol consumption in healthy men. , 1979, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[36]  S. Stewart.  Racial and ethnic differences in alcohol-associated aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase elevation. , 2002, Archives of internal medicine.

[37]  P. Jousilahti,et al.  Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase, self-reported alcohol drinking, and the risk of stroke. , 2000, Stroke.