Serum Leptin is associated with Fasting Plasma Glucose and Serum Insulin Levels independent of BMI in Haitian Americans with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

ObjectiveLeptin is an adipose tissue derived peptide considered both structurally and functionally as a pro‐inflammatory adipocytokine. Leptin has been associated with metabolic risks and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Haitian Americans are an understudied ethnic Blacks at risk for T2D. We aimed to measure serum leptin levels in Haitian Americans with and without T2D and to examine the relationship of serum leptin with metabolic risk factors of T2D.MethodsCross‐sectional analysis in 213 Haitian Americans, 100 with T2D and 113 without T2D. Fasting plasma glucose levels (FPG) were measured by hexokinase enzymatic methods (Laboratory Corporation of America, FL, USA). Fasting serum insulin levels were determined with enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using commercially available kits (Millipore, St Charles, MS, USA). Serum leptin levels was analyzed by ELISA (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA).ResultsSerum log leptin levels were significantly higher in both females with and without T2D compared to males with and without T2D (P<0.001). Females with T2D had higher body mass index (BMI, obese) compared to males with T2D (P=0.016), while higher BMI in females without T2D (overweight) had a trend towards significance compared to males without T2D (P=0.099). Multiple linear regression demonstrated that in subjects with T2D, serum log leptin levels were significantly associated with FPG (B=‐0.004, P=0.012) and fasting serum insulin levels (B=−0.058, P=0.026) after adjustment for age, gender, BMI, total energy intake, physical activity and smoking status. The association was not statically significant in subjects without T2D after controlling for the same covariates. Serum log leptin levels were significantly associated with BMI in both subjects with (B=0.095, P=0.020) and without T2D (B=0.080, P=0.001).ConclusionThere is a significant association between FPG and fasting serum insulin levels in Haitian Americans with T2D, independent of adiposity, demographic and behavioral factors. This may suggest that serum leptin level is an important factor of metabolic risks of T2D irrespective of obesity levels. Thus, leptin levels may be used to identify diabetes‐metabolic risk in Haitian Americans.Support or Funding InformationThis research was funded by a NIH/NIDDK grant.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.