Avaliação dos níveis de gama-glutamil transpeptidase sérica em pacientes hepatopatas e sua utilização como marcador bioquímico para consumo de álcool / Evaluation of gamma glutamyltranspeptidase serum levels in liver disease patients and its use as alcohol consumption biochemical marker

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2007

RESUMO

The gamma glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) has been widely employed as excessive alcohol use biochemical marker. Its utilization in screening of alcohol consumption in patients with diagnosed liver diseases must be better investigated. In this study, serum levels of GGT were compared to the pattern of alcohol consumption using the AUDIT test as alcohol screening instrument in 126 patients with liver disease (94 men and 32 women), with age ranged from 20 to 69 years old. Twenty two patients (17,4%) scored higher or equal 8 in the AUDIT (positive cases for alcohol related problems suspicion in the last 12 months). This proportion increases to 32,7% in patients with alcohol-associated liver disease. The severity of the liver damage was evaluated by the Child-Pugh classification: 86 patients were classified as A (68,2%) and 40 as B or C (31,8%). All patients who scored 8 or higher in the AUDIT were men and had mean values of GGT significantly higher when compared to those who scored less than 8 (526,9 U/L ± 1006,8 versus 138,7 U/L ± 123, p<0,00001). Among them 77,3% had alcohol-associated liver disease diagnosis (p<0,0001). The Pearson’s correlation test showed a strong association between increase of the GGT values in patients that use alcohol and total score in the AUDIT. No association between increase of GGT values and severity of liver damage was found. No statistically significance was observed also between AUDIT scores 8 or higher to age, civil status, employment situation, education, familiar earnings, race or religion. Our data suggest that the combined use of GGT and AUDIT can be useful in discriminating liver disease patients that use alcohol, particularly in developing countries like Brazil, due to their widely availability and low costs.

ASSUNTO(S)

ggt alcoolismo audit audit hepatopatia alcoholism ggt liver disease

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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