The Correlation Between Circulating Betatrophin and Insulin Resistance in General Population: A Meta-Analysis

Many inconsistent findings are reported on the correlation between circulating betatrophin and insulin resistance in the different population. The aim of this analysis was to explore the correlation between the level of betatrophin and insulin resistance in the general population. The databases of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library (inception to October 26, 2016) were searched without language restrictions for publications that reported studies on associations between betatrophin and insulin resistance in adults. Subgroup analyses were performed to investigate potential sources of heterogeneity. The pooled effect size was calculated using a random-effects model. Twenty-five studies were included in this meta-analysis. Meta-analysis showed that betatrophin was positively and significantly correlated with insulin resistance (r=0.16, 95% CI: 0.08-0.25). When all participants were divided into DM, GDM, and Non-DM groups, this association was also significant in T2DM, GDM, and Non-DM participants (T2DM: r=0.09, 95% CI: 0.01-0.17; I ²=45.1%; GDM: r=0.39, 95% CI: 0.24-0.55; I ²=0.0%; non-DM: r=0.15, 95% CI: 0.04-0.26; I ²=89.3%), and it was obvious that heterogeneity existed in Non-DM group (I ²=89.3%, p<0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed that gender, serum sample and ELISA kits for full-length betatrophin had significant influence on the association between betatrophin and insulin resistance. In conclusion, the level of circulating betatrophin is positively associated with insulin resistance in the general population, especially in T2DM and GDM patients. Gender, serum sample, and ELISA kits for full-length betatrophin may affect this association. More large-scale studies are needed to determine whether improving insulin resistance concomitantly declines betatrophin levels in different diseases.