The association between impaired glucose tolerance and soluble CD40 ligand: a 15-year prospective cohort study

The aim of the present study was to assess soluble CD40 Ligand (sCD40L) levels in relation to impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) at population level.

This study is part of a prospective, population-based cohort study, carried out from 1990 to 2008 in northern Finland. Study members, born in 1935 and living in the City of Oulu, underwent oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and measurement of plasma sCD40L at three different time points during the 15-year follow-up. The total number of study members who underwent OGTT was 768 at the baseline, 557 at the first and 467 at the second follow-up. SCD40L levels in patients with IGT were compared with those in subjects with normal glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose (non-IGT).

Geometric mean level of sCD40L was significantly higher in the IGT group compared with the non-IGT group at the baseline (0.42 vs. 0.27 ng/mL) and at the first follow-up (1.50 vs. 0.36 ng/mL) (repeated measures mixed models ANOVA, p < 0.05). At the second follow-up (age 72-73 years), however, the difference was not statistically significant (9.44 vs. 7.24 ng/mL). During the entire follow-up, the levels of sCD40L increased significantly both in IGT and non-IGT groups.

We found that plasma sCD40L level increases with age as well as there are elevated levels of plasma sCD40L in subjects with IGT compared with non-IGT. This may indicate an increased cardiovascular risk in older age and in subjects with IGT.