Our results show that GGT levels are positively associated with risk of MetS independently of alcohol intake. GGT may be a promising marker for predicting MetS. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms in future.

BackgroundSeveral prospective observational studies suggest that gamma-glutamyltransferase(GGT) level is positively associated with risk of hypertension. However, these studies draw inconsistent conclusions. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the exact association between GGT level and subsequent development of hypertension.MethodsWe searched Pubmed, Embase, and Science Citation Index (ISI Web of Science) for prospective cohort studies examining the association between GGT level and hypertension. Then, pooled effect estimates (RRs) for the association between GGT level and hypertension were calculated.ResultsA total of 13 prospective cohort studies including 43314 participants and 5280 cases of hypertension were included. The pooled RR of hypertension was 1.94(95%CI: 1.55–2.43; P<0.001) when comparing the risk of hypertension between the highest versus lowest category of GGT levels. Moreover, the risk of hypertension increased by 23% (summary RR: 1.23; 95%CI: 1.13–1.32; P<0.001) per 1 SD logGGT increment. Subgroup analyses showed significant positive associations in each subgroup except in ≧160/95 subgroup (RR: 2.56, 95%CI: 0.87–7.54; P = 0.088) and nondrinkers subgroup (RR: 1.76, 95%CI: 0.88–3.53; P = 0.113). Sensitivity analyses showed no single study significantly affects the pooled RRs. No publication bias was found in our meta-analysis.ConclusionsGGT level is positively associated with the development of hypertension. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings and elucidate the exact mechanisms between GGT level and the incidence of hypertension.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is recently thought to be tightly associated with the development of cardiac hypertrophy as well as hypertension. However, the detailed molecular events in mitochondria at early stages of hypertrophic pathogenesis are still unclear. Applying two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) combined with MALDI-TOF/TOF tandem mass spectrometry, here we identified the changed mitochondrial proteins of left ventricular mitochondria in prehypertensive/hypertensive stages of cardiac hypertrophy through comparing spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and the age-matched normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. The results revealed that in the hypertrophic left ventricle of SHR as early as 4 weeks old with normal blood pressure, 33 mitochondrial protein spots presented significant alterations, with 17 down-regulated and 16 up-regulated. Such alterations were much greater than those in 20-week-old SHR with elevated blood pressure. Of the total alterations, the expression of two mitochondrial enzymes, trifunctional enzyme alpha subunit (Hadha) and NADH dehydrogenase 1 alpha subcomplex 10 (Ndufa10), were found to have special expression modification patterns in SHR strain. These data would provide new clues to investigate the potential contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction to the development of cardiac hypertrophy.