SERUM {gamma}-GLUTAMYL-TRANSPEPTIDASE ISOFORMS IN ALCOHOLIC LIVER DISEASE

-Glutamyltranspeptidase (GT) appears in serum in multiple forms;their significance and clinical utility in hepatobiliary andpancreatic diseases are still a matter of controversy. Electrophoreticseparation of the multiple forms of GT on agarose gel was performedin 20 alcoholic patients (six with cirrhosis and 14 with fattyliver) and the results compared with those obtained in 50 healthyvolunteers, 43 patients affected with chronic hepatitis C, 36patients with posthepatitic cirrhosis and in 52 epileptic patientson long-term anti-epileptic medication. Multiple forms of GTwere separated into several bands (up to 11), labelled 0a, 0b,la, lb, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b. In the alcoholic patientsnine fractions were detected, and the electrophoretic patternobserved was significantly different from that observed in healthyvolunteers and in patients with chronic hepatitis C or posthepatiticcirrhosis. No differences were observed in the electrophoreticpatterns in the alcohol abusers and epileptic patients. In alcoholicpatients significant differences were observed in the electrophoreticpatterns in relation to the degree of liver injury; the electrophoreticpatterns in patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis and posthepatiticcirrhosis differed significantly. The separation of multipleforms of GT has high sensitivity and good reproducibility. Itmay be proposed as a complementary test in the diagnosis ofalcoholic liver disease.