Association between Serum Uric Acid Levels and Islet Beta-cell Function in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a disease characterized by insulin resistance (IR) and insufficiency. Serum uric acid (SUA) is a biomarker of diabetes risk, with Indian populations having varying levels due to diet, lifestyle, and genetic susceptibility. However, the relationship between UA and T2DM is contentious due to its association with obesity. The study explores the relationship between serum uric acid levels and islet beta-cell function in type 2 diabetes patients, estimating the correlation, examining factors such as age, gender, or body mass index (BMI), and estimating the correlation between uric acid levels and IR.

A study at Santosh Medical College in Ghaziabad involved 167 patients over 18 years old with type 2 diabetes, diagnosed based on fasting plasma glucose levels, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). The patients underwent detailed history and physical examination, including fasting blood glucose, lipid profile, serum urea, creatinine, uric acid, HbA1c, insulin sensitivity index, and islet beta-cell function indices.

The study involved 170 patients, with 84 (49.41%) being male and 86 (50.59%) being female. The mean lipid profile was similar across genders, with no significant differences in HbA1c, random blood sugar (RBS), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), and homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR). Smoking and alcohol consumption were significantly higher in males, while family history of T2DM was comparable between both genders. The relationship between SUA quartiles and other parameters and HOMA-IR in males was not significantly different, while in females, the mean age, BMI, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, HbA1c, RBS, TC, TG, HDL-c, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, HOMA-IR, and creatinine were not significantly different. The correlation of HOMA-IR and uric acid was positive but not significantly associated.

The study found a significant positive correlation between serum uric acid levels and IR in males and females and a positive but nonsignificant correlation with BMI, suggesting that SUA could predict islet β-cell activity.