Research Article

Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase: A Friend against Cholestatic Itch? A Retrospective Observational Data Analysis in Patients with Extrahepatic Cholestasis

Table 1

Demographic and laboratory characteristics.

CharacteristicPatients without pruritus
()
Patients with pruritus
()
value or mean difference
(95% CI)

Gender—females (%)65 (48)41 (41)0.33
Age in years ()0.45 (-3.85–1.72)
Diagnosis—number (%)
 Pancreatic carcinoma100 (73)60 (61)0.06
 Cholangiocarcinoma28 (21)26 (26)
 Papillary carcinoma8 (6)13 (13)
Hb—mmol/L ()0.22 (-0.10–0.44)
Leucocytes—10^9/L ()0.31 (-1.48–0.47)
Thrombocytes—10^9/L ()0.13 (-6.31–48.0)
AST—U/L median (IQR)162 (100–247)114 (67–199)<0.01
ALT—U/L median (IQR)260 (129–407)197 (78–320)<0.01
LD—U/L median (IQR)237 (201–284)239 (203–274)0.93
INR median (IQR)1.1 (1.00–1.30)1.0 (0.975–1.10)<0.01
Albumin—g/L ()0.99 (-2.21–2.17)
MELD-score ()0.47 (-1.37–2.93)
Creatinine—μmol/L ()0.98 (-11.6–11.2)
eGFR (MDRD) —ml/min ()0.32 (-14.7–4.83)

Abbreviations: Hb: hemoglobin; AST: aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: alanine aminotransferase; LD: lactate dehydrogenase; INR: international normalized ratio; MELD: model for end-stage liver disease; eGFR: estimated glomerular filtration rate; MDRD: modification of diet in renal disease.