Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Overview

Risks

Results

Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase

Alternative Names:

Gamma-GT; GGTP; GGT

What the risks are:

excessive bleeding
fainting or feeling light-headed
hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
multiple punctures to locate veins

Special considerations:

Drugs that can increase GGT levels include alcohol, phenytoin, and phenobarbital.

Drugs that can decrease GGT levels include clofibrate and oral contraceptives (birth control pills).

Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.

Review Date: 2/14/2005
Reviewed By: Christian Stone, M.D., Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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