Genetic Epidemiology, Translational Neurogenomics, Psychiatric Genetics and Statistical Genetics Laboratories investigate the pattern of disease in families, particularly identical and non-identical twins, to assess the relative importance of genes and environment in a variety of important health problems.
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PMID
12194918
TITLE
Genetic covariation between serum gamma-glutamyltransferase activity and cardiovascular risk factors.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND NlmCategory: BACKGROUND
Several studies have shown that variation in serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) in the population is associated with risk of death or development of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, or hypertension. This association is only partly explained by associations between GGT and recognized risk factors. Our aim was to estimate the relative importance of genetic and environmental sources of variation in GGT as well as genetic and environmental sources of covariation between GGT and other liver enzymes and markers of cardiovascular risk in adult twin pairs.
METHODS NlmCategory: METHODS
We recruited 1134 men and 2241 women through the Australian Twin Registry. Data were collected through mailed questionnaires, telephone interviews, and by analysis of blood samples. Sources of variation in GGT, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and of covariation between GGT and cardiovascular risk factors were assessed by maximum-likelihood model-fitting.
RESULTS NlmCategory: RESULTS
Serum GGT, ALT, and AST were affected by additive genetic and nonshared environmental factors, with heritabilities estimated at 0.52, 0.48, and 0.32, respectively. One-half of the genetic variance in GGT was shared with ALT, AST, or both. There were highly significant correlations between GGT and body mass index; serum lipids, lipoproteins, glucose, and insulin; and blood pressure. These correlations were more attributable to genes that affect both GGT and known cardiovascular risk factors than to environmental factors.
CONCLUSIONS NlmCategory: CONCLUSIONS
Variation in serum enzymes that reflect liver function showed significant genetic effects, and there was evidence that both genetic and environmental factors that affect these enzymes can also affect cardiovascular risk.
DATE PUBLISHED
2002 Sep
HISTORY
PUBSTATUS PUBSTATUSDATE
pubmed 2002/08/27 10:00
medline 2002/09/14 10:01
entrez 2002/08/27 10:00
AUTHORS
NAME COLLECTIVENAME LASTNAME FORENAME INITIALS AFFILIATION AFFILIATIONINFO
Whitfield JB Whitfield John B JB Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown NSW 2050, Australia. John.Whitfield@mail.cs.nsw.gov.au
Zhu G Zhu Gu G
Nestler JE Nestler John E JE
Heath AC Heath Andrew C AC
Martin NG Martin Nicholas G NG
INVESTIGATORS
JOURNAL
VOLUME: 48
ISSUE: 9
TITLE: Clinical chemistry
ISOABBREVIATION: Clin. Chem.
YEAR: 2002
MONTH: Sep
DAY:
MEDLINEDATE:
SEASON:
CITEDMEDIUM: Print
ISSN: 0009-9147
ISSNTYPE: Print
MEDLINE JOURNAL
MEDLINETA: Clin Chem
COUNTRY: England
ISSNLINKING: 0009-9147
NLMUNIQUEID: 9421549
PUBLICATION TYPE
PUBLICATIONTYPE TEXT
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Twin Study
COMMENTS AND CORRECTIONS
REFTYPE REFSOURCE REFPMID NOTE
CommentIn Clin Chem. 2003 Mar;49(3):522-3; author reply 523 12600976
GRANTS
GRANTID AGENCY COUNTRY
AA 10249 NIAAA NIH HHS United States
AA 11998 NIAAA NIH HHS United States
GENERAL NOTE
KEYWORDS
MESH HEADINGS
DESCRIPTORNAME QUALIFIERNAME
Alanine Transaminase blood
Aspartate Aminotransferases blood
Cardiovascular Diseases genetics
Data Interpretation, Statistical genetics
Environment genetics
Female genetics
Humans genetics
Male genetics
Risk Factors genetics
gamma-Glutamyltransferase blood
SUPPLEMENTARY MESH
GENE SYMBOLS
CHEMICALS
REGISTRYNUMBER NAMEOFSUBSTANCE
EC 2.3.2.2 gamma-Glutamyltransferase
EC 2.6.1.1 Aspartate Aminotransferases
EC 2.6.1.2 Alanine Transaminase
OTHER ID's