Association between progranulin serum levels and dietary intake

Area of Science:

• Metabolic Health
• Nutritional Science
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Progranulin (PGRN) is secreted by adipose tissue and implicated in obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.
• While high-fat diets affect PGRN in rodents, its relationship with diet composition in humans remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between dietary intake and serum progranulin (PGRN) levels in human subjects.
• To explore the impact of specific dietary components on PGRN concentration.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 85 subjects with collected demographic, clinical, and anthropometric data.
• Serum PGRN measured via ELISA; dietary intake assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire.
• Focused Principal Component Analysis (FPCA) used to analyze associations, with sensitivity analyses for energy intake-expenditure ratio.

Main Results:

• Overall, no association found between PGRN and total energy, macronutrients, fiber, or glycemic index.
• A significant positive association was observed between solid fat intake and serum PGRN levels (p<0.05).
• In a subgroup with valid energy reporting, PGRN correlated with saturated fatty acids (r=0.341, p=0.031) and solid fats (beta=0.294, p=0.004).

Conclusions:

• Dietary intake of solid fats, predominantly saturated fatty acids, is associated with serum progranulin (PGRN) concentration in humans.
• This suggests a potential dietary link to PGRN levels, relevant for understanding metabolic disease pathways.