Correlation between Bethatrophin and 25(OH)D Concentrations in a Group of Subjects With Normal and Impaired Glucose Metabolism

Abstract

Aim: Inducing beta cell replication is a potential therapeutic approach for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Recently betatrophin was suggested as a novel stimulator of beta cell proliferation in mice but its role in humans remains to be established. We aimed to investigate betatrophin concentration and its association with metabolic parameters in a group of individuals with normal glucose tolerance, pre-diabetes and diabetes mellitus who had not been previously treated.

Methods: A total of 72 subjects were recruited for this cross sectional study: 23 subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), 22 subjects with prediabetes, and 27 subjects with diabetes mellitus (DM). Circulating betatrophin concentration, 75 g oral glucose tolerance test, fasting insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin, 25hydroxy vitamin D and HOMA IR were measured.

Results: The difference in betatrophin values did not reach statistical significance between the 3 groups [NGT:206 (176–297)pg/mL, Prediabetes:232 (181–254)pg/mL, DM:245 (205–526)pg/mL, p=0.078]. Betatrophin was negatively significantly correlated with BMI and positively significantly correlated with 25(OH)vitD (p=0.043 and p=0.001 respectively). Multivariate linear regression showed that 25(OH) vitD (β=0.440 p=0.001) and fasting glucose (β=0.003 p=0.038) were variables associated with betatrophin concentration (R2=0.251).

Conclusions: In a group of subjects ranging from those with normal glucose tolerance to newly diagnosed diabetes, we found that 25(OH)D and fasting glucose were factors associated with serum betatrophin concentration.

Key words

betatrophin - OGTT - vitamin D

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