Comparison of Serum Gamma Glutamyl Transferase Levels  between Prostate Cancer Patients and Their Healthy Peers

Ahmet  Yuce; Mevlut  Keles; Erdal  Benli; Abdullah  Cirakoglu; Ibrahim  Yazici; Ismail  Nalbant

doi:10.18502/ijph.v52i7.13251

Ahmet Yuce Department of Urology, Darende Hulusi Efendi State Hospital, Malatya, Turkey
Mevlut Keles Department of Urology, Ordu University, Faculty of Medicine, Ordu, Turkey
Erdal Benli Department of Urology, Ordu University, Faculty of Medicine, Ordu, Turkey
Abdullah Cirakoglu Department of Urology, Ordu University, Faculty of Medicine, Ordu, Turkey
Ibrahim Yazici Department of Urology, Ordu University, Faculty of Medicine, Ordu, Turkey
Ismail Nalbant Department of Urology Lokman Hekim University, Ankara, Turkey

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v52i7.13251

Keywords: Gamma glutamyl transferase; Prostate cancer; Biomarker; Prostate specific antigen

Abstract

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer affecting men, apart from cutaneous cancers. Serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels are frequently used to predict prostate cancer diagnosis. However, many causes (e.g., prostatitis, benign prostate obstruction, urethral catheterization) may cause elevated PSA, in addition to PCa. We aimed to investigate the gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels, a serum biomarker not affected by situations other than cancer causing elevated PSA.

Methods: The study evaluated male patients with prostate biopsy due to high serum PSA levels and/or abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE) examined in Ordu University Education and Research Hospital, Ordu/Turkey urology clinic from April 2019 to April 2021. The patient group in the study included 261 men with PCa diagnosis and the control group included 245 healthy men with normal PSA levels, and no PCa and/or benign prostate obstruction (BPO). The two groups were compared in terms of serum GGT levels.

Results: GGT was significantly low in the PCa group and might be a predictor in terms of PCa (P=0.000). In the malignant (PCa) group, the GGT cut-off value was identified as 21.5 (sensitivity 68.6%, specificity 54.4%).

Conclusion: Serum GGT levels might assist in diagnosis of PCa. However, diagnostic power is weak due to low specificity. There is a need for studies investigating the efficacy of GGT levels for prediction of PCa diagnosis and assessing other parameters alongside GGT.