Abstract 9689: Circulating IGFBP-2 Levels are Incrementally Linked to Correlates of the Metabolic Syndrome and Independently Associated With VLDL Triglycerides

Context: Circulating IGF binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) modulates glucose homeostasis and fat accumulation. Low IGFBP-2 has been associated with obesity and insulin resistance but little is known about its associations with variables of lipid metabolism. Objective: To assess whether plasma IGFBP-2 is a predictor of components of the lipid-lipoprotein profile independently of its interactions with fat mass and insulin sensitivity and to suggest a cutoff value of circulating IGFBP-2 that can identify patients that meet the suggested criteria for the metabolic syndrome in our cohort. Method: In this cross-sectional study, 379 men (ages 20-65 yrs.) covering a wide range of BMI values were recruited through the media. Subjects with type 2 diabetes, body mass index (BMI) values > 40 kg/m 2 , or taking medication targeting glucose or lipid metabolism or blood pressure were excluded. Anthropometric data were collected and plasma IGFBP-2 concentrations, glucose tolerance and an extensive plasma lipid profile were determined after an overnight fast. Results: When dichotomized according to the median, subjects with low IGFBP-2 levels were characterized by increased fat mass ( p p p 221.5 ng/mL) did not meet the criteria proposed by the NCEP ATP III for the clinical diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome. In addition, circulating IGFBP-2 levels were strongly associated with VLDL-TG (r = -0.51, p p p Conclusions: Patients with low IGFBP-2 have a deleterious lipid profile. In our cohort, IGFBP-2 levels lower than 221.5 ng/mL are incrementally associated with a detrimental lipid profile. After adjustments, plasma IGFBP-2 is an independent predictor of VLDL-TG. The present study supports the notion that the metabolic alterations associated with increased circulating VLDL are also associated with low IGFBP-2, and that the latter could be a marker of early dyslipidemia.