Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in diseases of the liver and bone.

Abstract

Serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) was measured in samples of blood from 191 patients with hepatobiliary disease and from 58 patients with high levels of serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) due to osseous disease. Of the patients with hepatic disease, 92% were found to have high values of GGTP, but the determinations were of little use in differentiating between the different types of hepatic disease. When used in the aspartate aminotransferase (AAT)/GGTP ratio, it gave a reasonable separation between obstructive disease of the liver and hepatitis; however, the use of AP as the denominator gave almost as good a separation. GGTP is elevated in the same circumstances as AP, but has no advantage over AP as a routine test to determine liver function. GGTP was useful in differentiating hepatic disease from osseous disease, and was extremely useful in making such a differentiation in the cases of patients with unexplained elevations in AP.