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. 2014 Dec 11;9(12):e114970.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114970. eCollection 2014.

Serum gamma - glutamyltransferase is associated with albuminuria: a population-based study

Kan Sun  1 , Feng Li  1 , Diaozhu Lin  1 , Yiqin Qi  1 , Mingtong Xu  1 , Na Li  1 , Chulin Huang  1 , Meng Ren  1 , Yan Li  1 , Li Yan  1
Affiliations

Serum gamma - glutamyltransferase is associated with albuminuria: a population-based study

Kan Sun et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Serum γ - glutamyltransferase (GGT) is implicated in the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. Albuminuria is a marker of endothelial damage and correlated with structural and functional integrity of the vasculature. Our objective was to evaluate the association between serum GGT level and prevalence of albuminuria in a Chinese population.

Materials and methods: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study in 9,702 subjects aged 40 years or older. Increased urinary albumin excretion was defined according to the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) ranges greater or equal than 30 mg/g. Low-grade albuminuria was defined according to the highest quartile of ACR in participants without increased urinary albumin excretion.

Results: The prevalence of low-grade albuminuria and increased urinary albumin excretion were respectively 23.4% and 6.6% in this population and gradually increased across the sex-specific serum GGT quartiles (all P for trend <0.05). In logistic regression analysis, compared with subjects in the lowest quartile of serum GGT level, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) in the highest quartile was 1.22 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-1.43] for low-grade albuminuria and 1.55 (95% CI, 1.18-2.04) for increased urinary albumin excretion. In subgroup analysis, significant relationship of serum GGT level with both low-grade albuminuria and increased urinary albumin excretion were detected in women, younger subjects, overweight subjects and in those with hypertension or glomerular filtration rate greater than 90 (all P <0.05).

Conclusion: Serum GGT level is associated with urinary albumin excretion in middle-aged and elderly Chinese.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Prevalence of low-grade albuminuria and increased urinary albumin excretion in different quartiles of serum γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels.
(A) Low-grade albuminuria, (B) Increased urinary albumin excretion.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Prevalence of low-grade albuminuria with each quartile increase of serum γ-glutamyltransferase levels in different subgroups.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Prevalence of increased urinary albumin excretion with each quartile increase of serum γ-glutamyltransferase levels in different subgroups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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