Elevated serum gamma-glutamyltransferase levels in patients with dilated ascending aorta

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels as an indirect marker of elevated oxidative stress in patients with dilated ascending aorta. Methods: The study was designed as an observational cross-sectional controlled study. One hundred consecutive patients with dilated ascending aorta and 50 consecutive controls with normal ascending aorta diameter were selected for the study by comprehensive transtho- racic echocardiography (TTE). The aortic dilatation group was divided into two subgroups, according to the literature as the ectasia group (3.8-4.3 cm, 53 patients, 24 male and 29 female, mean age: 62.9±10.9 years) and the aneurysm group (≥4.4 cm, 47 patients, 18 male and 29 female, mean age: 65.5±11.1 years). The control group consisted of patients demonstrating no ascending aorta dilatation (≤3.7 cm, 50 patients, 24 male and 26 female, mean age: 62.7±9.2 years). ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson’s correlation analysis, multivariate logistic regression analy- sis, and receiver-operator curve analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results: Regarding the comparison of laboratory parameters between the patient and control groups, serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels were found to be statistically significantly higher in both of the aortic dilatation subgroups than in the control group (p