The relationship between γ-glutamyl transferase levels and the clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVES: Serum γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity has been shown to be related to the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of GGT in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 683 consecutive patients with STEMI who underwent primary PCI were evaluated. The study population was divided into tertiles on the basis of admission GGT values. A high GGT (n=221) was defined as a value in the upper third tertile (GGT>37) and a low GGT (n=462) was defined as any value in the lower two tertiles (GGT≤37). The mean follow-up time was 29 months.

RESULTS: The in-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher in patients in the high GGT group (7.2 vs. 1.7%, P<0.001), as was the rate of adverse outcomes in patients with high GGT levels. In multivariate analyses, a significant association was found between high GGT levels and adjusted risk of in-hospital cardiovascular mortality (odds ratio=8.6, 95% confidence interval: 2.3-32.4, P=0.001). In a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, a GGT value greater than 37 was identified as an effective cutoff point in STEMI for in-hospital cardiovascular mortality (area under curve=0.71, 95% confidence interval: 0.59-0.82, P<0.001). There were no differences in the long-term adverse outcome rates between the two groups.

CONCLUSION: GGT is a readily available clinical laboratory value associated with in-hospital adverse outcomes in patients with STEMI who undergo primary PCI. However, there was no association with long-term mortality.