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WASHINGTON: The presence of a protein expressed by
the liver, which inhibits insulin action, may identify individuals
more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes, according to a new study
released by the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers led by Joachim Ix at
the University of California, San Diego, found that higher serum
levels of a protein called fetuin-A, produced by liver cells, was
associated with Type 2 Diabetes in humans, independent of other risk
factors.
“Higher fetuin-A was associated
with a 1.7-fold increased risk of diabetes, when adjusted for other
factors,” said Ix. Despite compelling laboratory and animal data
of the protein’s role in insulin resistance, until now the
association of fetuin-A with new development of Type 2 Diabetes had
not been evaluated in humans, according to Ix.
“On the basis of this study,
fetuin-A might be considered as a novel therapeutic target for
prevention or treatment of insulin resistance,” he said.
Type 2 Diabetes is a metabolic
disorder characterized by insulin resistance that has become a
global epidemic. The increased prevalence of obesity is a major
contributing factor. But diabetes does not develop in all obese
individuals, and reasons why one individual develops Type 2
Diabetes, while another does not, are largely unknown.
Recent research shows that
proteins from fat tissue called adipocytokines regulate the
metabolism of blood sugar or glucose, and may ultimately prove to be
a target for new diabetes therapies.
In contrast, fetuin-A is produced
in liver cells, and is secreted into blood. In laboratory studies,
fetuin-A binds to the insulin receptor found in muscle and fat,
resulting in insulin resistance—the hallmark of diabetes.
Preliminary data from a separate study of participants without
diabetes had shown an association between fetuin-A and insulin
resistance.
In this study, the researchers
measured levels of fetuin-A in 519 diabetes-free individuals age 70
to 79 years old, and followed them for development of diabetes for
six years. Participants with the highest levels of fetuin-A showed a
higher risk of developing diabetes, when compared to those with low
levels. The association was not affected by levels of adipocytokines.
The researchers note that further
studies should evaluate whether the results prove true in
middle-aged individuals in whom the incidence rate of Type 2
Diabetes is highest.
--Xinhua
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