Elevated levels of betatrophin in patients with newly diagnosed diabetes

Introduction. Betatrophin is primarily produced in the liver and regulates the metabolism of triglycerides. Its elevated concentration might be associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of betatrophin on beta cell function and to compare the concentration of betatrophin in patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM including LADA), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and a control group (CG) of healthy volunteers. Patients and methods. The study included 210 patients with newly diagnosed diabetes (70 with T1DM, 140 with T2DM) and 70 CG. To evaluate the relationship between betatrophin and insulin secretion, a glucagon stimulation test was conducted. Results. Serum betatrophin concentrations were significantly elevated in T1DM and T2DM in comparison to the control group (3.47 [Q(1)= 2.28, Q(3) = 4.54] in T1DM vs. 1.81 [Q(1) = 1.04, Q(3) = 2.67] ng/ml in CG, p < 0.001; 3.12 [Q(1) = 1.89, Q(3) = 4.48] in T2DM vs. 1.81 [Q(1) = 1.04, Q(3) = 2.67] ng/ml in CG, p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences in betatrophin concentration were observed between the T1DM and T2DM groups. Significant correlations were established between betatrophin, triglyceride (TG) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in all study participants, and C-peptide in the T1DM group. Conclusions. Betatrophin concentration was significantly elevated in patients with newly diagnosed T1DM and T2DM, compared to the control group and could be a biomarker of diabetes. Our study provided evidence which supports the impact of betatrophin on lipid metabolism. The positive correlation between betatrophin and C-peptide in the T1DM group suggests that betatrophin is associated with insulin secretion in T1DM.