High GGT: symptoms, possible causes and characteristics

High gamma glutamyl transferase levels are indicators of problems in internal organs.

It is likely that on more than one occasion we have had a blood test, either to check the values of elements such as cholesterol, triglycerides or blood sugar, or in the presence of some type of symptomatology that suggests the existence of a specific disease (in which case a more specific analysis is performed).

Thanks to them we can detect very diverse pathologies, observing for example altered levels of lipids, leukocytes or even some enzymes. An example of this occurs when we have the high gamma glutamyl transferase or GGTan indicator of possible damage to organs such as the liver.

Throughout this article we are going to make a brief dissertation regarding what it is and what it can imply to have high GGT, as well as some conditions that can provoke it.

What is GGT and when do we start to have it high?

It is called gamma glutamyl transferase or GGT an important enzyme present in various organs of the human body, with specialwith special preponderance in the liver (this being the organ in which it is found in greater proportion), the heart and the gall bladder but also being present in others such as the kidneys or the brain.

The main function of this enzyme is to metabolize the main antioxidant manufactured by our body, glutathione, as well as to transfer it to other amino acids.as well as to transfer it to other amino acids. It thus contributes, among other things, to maintaining cellular health and homeostasis and to strengthening the immune system. As mentioned above, it is part of various organs and certain levels of this enzyme can be found in the blood.

In general, normal values are considered to be between 0 and 30 or between 7 and 50 units per liter of blood. Above these values it is considered that this enzyme is at an elevated level, something that is indicating the presence of damage in any of the above mentioned organs, basically in the first three, the most probable being the liver. The increase is usually due to a leakage of the enzyme through damage or lesions in these organs..

How are its levels evaluated and assessed?

Although this may not seem to generate symptoms at first, it is common that what generates high levels of GGT produces different alterations.

These can vary enormously depending on the causes, but the most common are the presence of jaundice or yellowing of the eyes and skin, weakness, changes in the color of urine and stool (the former usually darkens and the latter lightens), sudden loss of appetite and feces (the former usually darken and the latter become lighter), sudden drop in appetite, itching of the skin, gastrointestinal discomfort and pain or nausea and vomiting, which are indicators of the presence of damage that make it advisable to undergo the relevant analysis.

The assessment of GGT will be performed through a blood test, usually after a period ofusually after a period of time without eating or drinking. It is no more dangerous than other blood tests, and once in possession of the sample the test is relatively quick to perform.

However, it should be noted that having high GGT has no single identifiable cause, and its levels do not serve as an accurate indicator of where the damage may lie. This is why it is often necessary to perform complementary tests that assess other enzymes.

Possible causes of high GGT

As we have just mentioned, there are many possible causes of high GGT, often requiring analysis of the levels of other substances to determine the specific cause of this alteration. cause of this alteration. Among the most common causes of its elevation above normal, we can highlight the following.

1. Hepatitis

The different types of hepatitis, which are inflammations of the liver which can come from such varied causes as infection by a virus as infection by a virus or food poisoning, have also been associated with the presence of alterations that make it easier for GGT to leak into the blood, generating an increase in its levels.

2. Alcoholism and alcoholic cirrhosis

Excessive alcohol consumption and its consequences on the liver are one of the possible causes of high GGT, due to the existence of lesions through which the enzyme exits into the bloodstream. An example is found in alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, in which the liver has degenerated in such a way that scarring and greatly diminished organ function..

3. Diabetes mellitus

Another condition that can lead to elevated GGT levels is diabetes mellitus, regardless of whether it is insulin-dependent or not. The aforementioned increase tends to occur mainly in those people who do not follow the treatment or medical recommendations, being common in such cases that liver lesions may appear. Fortunately, good glycemic control prevents GGT from increasing..

4. Cysts and liver tumors

A reason that can also cause a high level of GGT in the blood is the presence of hepatic lesions derived from damage caused by cysts and tumors, either because we are dealing with a tumor that appears in the organ or because despite being in another site it generates pressure or compression in/on the organ.

5. Consumption of drugs

GGT elevation is not always due to a disease, but can also derive from the effects of the consumption of certain drugs or substances. These may include some Antibiotics or drugs to treat epilepsy. Another type of drug that can cause high GGT is oral contraceptives. In addition, substances such as alcohol or phenobarbital (a barbiturate, anxiolytic and sedative) also generate an elevated GGT.

6. Blockage of vesicular channels or blood hypoperfusion

In addition to the above, there are other diseases and lesions that can generate that the emission of GGT in the blood is excessive, the causes of this can be found in problems in the communication of the gall bladder with the liver or the absence of sufficient blood flow to the area. It can also derive from internal hemorrhages.

7. Cardiac insufficiency

Especially frequent in the elderly population, the presence of cardiac problems such as heart failure also generates an elevation of GGT, in this case not so much derived from the liver but from the main organ of the cardiovascular system.

Bibliographic references:

• Chernecky, C.C. & Berger, B.J. (2013). Gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGTP, gamma-glutamyltransferase) - blood. In: Chernecky CC, Berger BJ, eds. Laboratory Tests and Diagnostic Procedures. 6th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders:559-560.
• American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (2017). Gamma-glutamyl transferase (CGT) blood test. MedlinePlus [Online]. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/003458.htm.