Serum Preadipocyte Factor 1 Concentrations And Risk Of Developing Diabetes: A Nested Case-Control Study

AimTo determine whether preadipocyte factor 1 could be a predictive marker for the development of diabetes in people without diabetes at baseline.MethodsWe conducted a population-based, nested case-control study of individuals who progressed to diabetes (n=43) or prediabetes (n=345) and control participants matched on age, sex and fasting plasma glucose concentration, who maintained normal glucose tolerance (n=389) during a 4-year follow-up using data from the Chungju Metabolic disease Cohort Study. Circulating levels of preadipocyte factor 1 were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsBaseline serum preadipocyte factor 1 levels showed a stepwise decrease across the glucose tolerance status groups at follow-up (normal glucose tolerance: 10.023.02ng/ml; prediabetes: 9.483.35ng/ml; diabetes: 8.663.29ng/ml; P for trend, 0.0151). Individuals whose fasting plasma glucose level had increased or whose homeostasis model assessment of -cell function had decreased at follow-up showed significantly lower levels of preadipocyte factor 1compared with their control group counterparts. After adjusting for age, BMI, fasting plasma glucose, serum insulin levels, systolic blood pressure and triglycerides, the incidence of diabetes was nearly threefold higher in the lowest vs. the upper three quartiles of circulating preadipocyte factor 1 (relative risk 2.794; 95% CI 1.188-6.571; P=0.0185). Notably, these findings were significant in women but not in men.ConclusionsLevels of circulating preadipocyte factor 1 may be a useful biomarker for identifying women at high risk of developing diabetes.What's new?In this population-based nested case-control study, women with serum preadipocyte factor 1 concentrations in the lowest quartile had a nearly threefold increased risk of developing diabetes in the future. Baseline serum preadipocyte factor 1 level was negatively correlated with fasting plasma glucose at follow-up and had a positive correlation with homeostatic model assessment of -cell function at follow-up. Our findings suggest a possible role for preadipocyte factor 1 in the pathogenesis of Type 2 diabetes and highlight preadipocyte factor 1 as a novel predictive marker and therapeutic target.