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Biomarker in prediabetes may help prevent type 2 diabetes
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A newly identified biomarker present in people with prediabetes could help prevent development of type 2 diabetes, according to recent study findings published in Clinical Epigenetics.
Zhiyong Cheng, PhD, assistant professor of human, nutrition, foods and exercise in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, and colleagues evaluated data from 40 participants from the diaBEAT-it program who did not have diabetes or cardiovascular disease, but who experienced symptoms of prediabetes and insulin resistance, to determine the effect of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) on metabolic regulation. Thirty-two participants had obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2) and eight were lean (BMI < 25 kg/m2).
The group with obesity showed significant impairments in fasting glucose (P < .05) and increased fasting insulin levels (P < .05) compared with the lean group. Further, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance was 2.7-fold higher in the group with obesity compared with the lean group (P < .05). Compared with the lean group, the group with obesity had higher levels of plasma LDL (P < .05), LDL-to-HDL ratio (P < .05) and total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio (P < .05).
“If the body is insulin resistant, or unable to respond properly to insulin, it could affect a person’s mitochondrial function and overall energy levels,” Cheng said in a press release. “Mitochondrial alterations have previously been observed in obese individuals, but this is the first time we’ve made the molecular link between insulin resistance and mitochondrial DNA changes.”
The group with obesity had a significantly lower mtDNA copy number (mtDNAn) compared with the lean group (P < .001), and decreased mtDNAn was strongly associated with insulin resistance (P < .05) and fasting insulin levels (P < .05). No significant relationship was found between fasting glucose or lipid levels and mtDNAn.
“There is no known cure for type 2 diabetes, and early diagnosis and intervention is critical to prevent this disease,” Fabio Almeida, PhD, also of Virginia Tech, said in the release. “Discovery of the biomarker in obese, prediabetic individuals advances our understanding of how diabetes develops and provides evidence important for future diagnosis and intervention.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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