Association Between γ-Glutamyltransferase Level and Cardiovascular or All-Cause Mortality in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis assessed the prognostic value of serum γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) level for cardiovascular (CV) and all-cause mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We conducted a systematic literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and Weipu databases until December 2018. Observational studies investigating the prognostic role of serum GGT level for CV and all-cause mortality in patients with CAD were included. Pooled risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the highest versus the lowest GGT level were used to summarize the prognostic value. Twelve studies involving 12 531 patients with CAD were included. Meta-analysis showed that elevated GGT level was significantly associated with higher risk of CV mortality (RR: 2.04; 95% CI: 1.57-2.64) and all-cause mortality (RR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.27-1.74) in patients with CAD. This meta-analysis suggests that elevated serum GGT levels are an independent predictor of CV and all-cause mortality in patients with CAD. Determination of GGT level may improve the prediction of CV and all-cause mortality in patients with CAD.

Association between Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase and Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque Vulnerability: An Optical Coherence Tomography Study

Background

Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) has been detected in coronary plaques. However, the association between serum GGT levels and coronary atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) as detected by optical coherence tomography (OCT) has not been investigated.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study of consecutively enrolled CAD patients undergoing preintervention OCT examination during coronary angiography. Plaque vulnerability was defined as the presence of ruptured plaques or thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) upon OCT. The association between serum GGT levels and coronary plaque vulnerability was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

A total of 142 patients were included in our analysis. OCT examination detected ruptured plaques in 16 patients, nonruptured plaques with TCFA in 17 patients, and nonruptured plaques and non-TCFA in 109 patients. Univariate analyses showed that gender, diabetes, Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were associated with plaque vulnerability (P all < 0.05). Patients grouped according to serum GGT tertiles did not differ statistically in baseline characteristics or OCT findings. Results of multivariate logistic analyses showed that diabetes and diagnosis of ACS were associated with plaque rupture and TCFA (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

GGT serum levels were not associated with OCT detected coronary vulnerability in our cohort of CAD patient.