Is gamma glutamyl transferase a diagnostic marker of prostate disease?

Abstract

Background: Early diagnosis, detection and treatment have been one of the main goals of reducing the mortality from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCA). The most common used screening and diagnostic tool for this condition is serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level. Since PSA is synthesized by other tissues besides the normal and tumor prostate cells, the specificity of PSA as a biomarker for BPH and PCA has been called into question and may be improved. Therefore, other markers of this disease condition are being sought. Since gamma glutamyl transferase GGT is prominently expressed in prostate, we hypothesize that an increase in GGT occurs during prostate enlargement, and that GGT could be appropriate as a novel biomarker for BPH and PCA. Aim: To determine the serum levels of GGT in subjects with BPH and prostate cancer and compare these results with the concentrations of established biomarkers of prostate cancer such as PSA and MDA. Methods: A total number of 30 male subjects with BPH, 30 with prostate cancer and 30 age-matched controls were recruited for the study. Result: There was no significant difference in mean GGT levels between the patient (BPH and PCA) and control group. Similarly, there was no correlation between Serum MDA, GGT and PSA amongst the groups studied. Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence that GGT is not a sensitive and specific marker for detection of either BPH or prostate cancer.

Keywords: PSA, Prostate cancer, BPH, Gamma glutamyl transferase