Abstract
Asprosin is a fasting-induced glucogenic hormone, secreted by white adipose
tissue in response to starvation. The aim of the current study was to determine
the levels of asprosin in subjects from the entire spectrum of the carbohydrate
metabolism. A total of 153 Causcasian subjects participated in this study: group
1, healthy volunteers; group 2, obese subjects without glycemic disturbances;
group 3, subjects with prediabetes and group 4, patients with newly identified
type 2 diabetes. Subject with body mass index≥30 kg/m2
and dysglycemia (prediabetes and diabetes) showed significantly high levels of
asprosin (1.40 ng/ml [IQR=0.98–1.94];
1.27 ng/ml [IQR=0.86–2.12];
1.09 ng/ml [IQR=0.89–1.58]) compared to the
control group (0.71 ng/ml [IQR=0.54–0.92];
p<0.001). Correlation analysis showed that serum asprosin also had
significant positive associations with some anthropometric parameters, liver
enzymes, fasting and post load glucose and insulin, LDL and triglycerides.
Furthermore, we estimated a marked relationship between asprosin concentrations
and intima media thickness of the common carotid artery as well as neuropathy
disability and vibration sensitivity. The circulating asprosin levels for
differentiating subjects with carbohydrate disturbances and those with obesity
were determined by ROC analysis. The AUC for disturbances of the glucose
metabolism was 0.672 (p<0.001; 95%
CI=0.581–0.751) and for obesity AUC was 0.849 (p<0.001;
95% CI=0.785–0.919). Circulating asprosin could be used
as a predictive factor for early carbohydrate disorders and might be a potential
new therapeutic target for the treatment of dysglycemia and obesity. Further
prospective studies are needed to confirm this observation.
Key words
obesity - metabolic syndrome - prediabetes - asprosin - adipokines
