Plasma apelin: A novel biomarker for predicting diabetes

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Metabolic Diseases
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Apelin is known to influence insulin sensitivity and secretion in animal models.
• The predictive role of plasma apelin levels for incident diabetes in humans has not been established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether plasma apelin concentrations can predict the development of type 2 diabetes in a human cohort.
• To explore potential sex differences in the association between plasma apelin and incident diabetes.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 447 non-diabetic subjects (148 men, 299 women) was followed for an average of 3 years.
• Diabetes diagnosis was confirmed via oral glucose tolerance test, hemoglobin A1c, or diabetes medication use.
• Baseline plasma apelin-12 levels were quantified using a commercial assay.

Main Results:

• Plasma apelin concentrations were significantly higher in women than in men at baseline.
• Higher baseline plasma apelin levels were associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes specifically in men (HR 2.13, p<0.05), after adjusting for multiple risk factors.
• Plasma apelin improved diabetes prediction beyond traditional risk factors in men, with a sensitivity of 63.2% and specificity of 58.9% at a threshold of 0.9 ng/ml.

Conclusions:

• Plasma apelin serves as a novel and independent biomarker for predicting incident type 2 diabetes in men.
• The findings suggest a potential sex-specific role for apelin in diabetes development.