[Increase of serum gamma-glutamyl transferase activity in diabetic patients is not linked to diabetes itself].

In order to assess the relationship between increase of gamma-glutamyl transferase and diabetes, we measured serum gamma-glutamyl transferase in 48 male and 43 female insulin-dependent diabetics aged 20-60 years, 49 male and 41 female non insulin dependent diabetics aged 30-60 years, and in 114 male and 124 female controls (blood donors) aged 20-60 years. A1C haemoglobin was assayed in 124 diabetics. There is no increase of serum gamma-glutamyl transferase activity in insulin dependent diabetics of both sexes when compared with the controls. There is an increase of serum gamma-glutamyl transferase activity in non insulin dependent diabetics when compared either with controls (men p less than 0.02, women p less than 0.02) or with insulin dependent diabetics (men p less than 0.05, women p less than 0.02). There is no correlation between serum gamma-glutamyl transferase activity and fasting blood sugar (148 diabetics). In non insulin dependent diabetics of both sexes there is no correlation between A1C haemoglobin and serum gamma-glutamyl transferase activity. These results suggest that the increase observed in diabetics is not caused by diabetes itself, ie, by hyperglycemia, but by diabetes associated pathologies.