Gamma-glutamyltransferase, general and cause-specific mortality in 19,000 construction workers followed over 20 years

Associations of serum gamma-glutamyltransferase levels with a variety of incident diseases and mortality have been suggested. The present study attempted to expand the body of evidence to especially relevant occupational cohorts in which exposure to established γ-GT determinants may greatly differ from the general population.

The study was based on occupational health examinations conducted from 1986 to 1992 in 19,090 German male workers from the construction industry, aged 25-64years. Sociodemographics and other health-related information were collected during the exam. Vital status follow-up was conducted through 2008. Associations of baseline γ-GT levels (measurements at 25°C) with all-cause and cause-specific mortality were examined by Kaplan-Meier plotting and multiple adjusted Cox regression models.

A total of 2170 deaths occurred during 303,198 person-years of follow-up. The risk of death due to any cause was 2.5-fold increased in subjects in the highest (⩾39U/L) versus lowest (<11U/L) γ-GT quintile. To varying extents, elevated γ-GT was associated with higher mortality due to cancer, circulatory, respiratory, and digestive causes, as well as accidents/poisoning.

The findings in this cohort provide evidence for γ-GT being associated with a broad range of causes of death, including less investigated outcomes. Some characteristics of the observed patterns need to be seen in the context of our cohort, featuring particularly high γ-GT levels.