A Case Control Study on Assessment of Serum Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase Levels in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Salem, Tamilnadu

Abstract

Background

The growing incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), characterized by hepatic lipid deposition, can be attributed to alterations in lifestyle and the prominence of metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to determine the association between serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels and the occurrence of NAFLD.

Materials and Methods

The case-control study was conducted in the General Medicine Department of a teaching medical college in Salem, Tamilnadu over the course of one year, encompassing 100 patients aged between 20 and 70 years. A comprehensive study was undertaken, involving 50 NAFLD patients and 50 healthy controls with normal ultrasonographic results. The main areas of focus were the biochemical markers of liver disease and various demographic variables. The analysis of the data was carried out using IBM SPSS version 22.0 software, with tables being generated via Microsoft Excel.

Results

The results of Fisher's exact test showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the age (P value = 0.801) and gender distribution (P value = 0.424) of NAFLD patients and healthy controls. Several parameters exhibit significant differences when comparing the case group to the control group. Significant differences are observed in serum creatinine levels (p = 0.002), as well as in triglyceride levels, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, GGT, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein (all with p values < 0.0001). According to the findings of the Kruskal-Wallis test, there were no statistically significant variations in GGT levels between the different grades of fatty liver (P value = 0.259).

Conclusion

The study findings show that parameters including AST, ALT, GGT, TG, LDL, and HDL might be significant in discerning between control and case groups of NAFLD patients. Serum GGT levels lack the ability to distinguish between the varying degrees of NAFLD severity.