Evaluation of Serum Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase and Ferritin in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation are important factors in the development of CKD. Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) and ferritin are emerging biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation, respectively. However, their synergistic role in CKD remains understudied, and there is limited regional evidence on their association with kidney function in CKD. Aim: To estimate and compare serum levels of GGT and ferritin in individuals with and without CKD, and to assess their correlation with serum creatinine as a marker of renal function. Materials and Methods: This was a hospital-based, crosssectional study conducted at the Department of Biochemistry in collaboration with the Nephrology Department at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, Manipur, India, from March 2023 to March 2025. A total of 200 participants were included- 100 diagnosed CKD patients and 100 age- and sexmatched healthy controls. Serum GGT, ferritin, urea, creatinine, and electrolytes were analysed using the Beckman Coulter DxC 700 AU autoanalyser. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.0. Student’s t-test and Pearson’s correlation were applied, and a p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The average age was 55.47±15.07 years. Serum GGT (61.29±43.12 IU/L) and ferritin (391.35±205.05 ng/ml) levels were significantly higher in CKD patients compared to controls (23.48±9.28 IU/L and 78.11±39.46 ng/ml, respectively; p-value <0.001). GGT showed a moderate positive correlation with serum creatinine (r-value=0.364), while ferritin exhibited a strong positive correlation (r-value=0.585). A significant positive correlation was also observed between GGT and ferritin (r-value=0.527, p-value <0.001). Conclusion: GGT and ferritin levels were significantly elevated in CKD and correlated positively with serum creatinine. These findings reflect the potential role of these markers in assessing oxidative stress, inflammation, and disease progression in CKD. They may serve as add-on markers for early CKD detection and monitoring. Further longitudinal studies are needed to establish the causality and therapeutic implications of these biomarkers in CKD.