Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in leprosy

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Immunology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae.
• Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) is an enzyme involved in amino acid transport and oxidative stress.
• Altered GGTP levels may indicate cellular damage or inflammatory processes in various diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate serum GGTP activity in patients with paucibacillary and multibacillary leprosy.
• To compare GGTP levels between leprosy patient groups and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Serum samples were collected from 20 paucibacillary leprosy patients, 20 multibacillary leprosy patients, and 20 healthy controls.
• Exclusion criteria included systemic or hepatic diseases and recent use of hepatotoxic or antileprotic drugs.
• GGTP activity was measured using standard biochemical assays.

Main Results:

• Mean serum GGTP levels were significantly higher in both paucibacillary (38.62 +/- 1.99 U/L) and multibacillary (59.04 +/- 3.13 U/L) leprosy groups compared to controls (32.04 +/- 0.66 U/L).
• Multibacillary leprosy patients exhibited significantly higher GGTP activity than paucibacillary leprosy patients.
• No subjects had confounding hepatic conditions or recent drug exposure.

Conclusions:

• Elevated serum GGTP activity is associated with leprosy.
• Increased GGTP levels correlate with the bacillary load, suggesting a role in disease progression or pathogenesis.
• GGTP may serve as a potential biomarker for leprosy severity.