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GLP-1, glicentin levels low among adolescents with obesity, impaired glucose tolerance
Lower levels of active glucagon-like peptide-1 and glicentin were found among adolescents with obesity and impaired glucose tolerance compared with those with normal glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes, according to study findings.
“However, the relative GLP-1 and glicentin response to oral glucose is lower in obesity with no worsening across the spectrum of glucose tolerance,” the researchers wrote.
Hannes Manell, MD, of the department of medical cell biology at Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues evaluated adolescents aged 10 to 18 years with obesity with normal glucose tolerance (NGT; n = 23), IGT (n = 19) or type 2 diabetes (n = 4) and age-matched lean controls (n = 19) to determine fasting and postprandial levels of the proglucagon-derived peptides glucagon, GLP-1 and glicentin.
The main study outcomes were fasting and oral glucose tolerance test plasma levels of insulin, glucagon, active GLP-1 and glicentin.
Compared with controls, the NGT group had more than threefold higher insulin, 30% higher glucagon and 70% higher active GLP-1 levels; no difference was found between these two groups for glicentin levels. A more than threefold higher fasting insulin and nearly doubled fasting glucagon (P < .01) was found in the type 2 diabetes group compared with the NGT group. The IGT group had 50% lower GLP-1 levels (P < .05) and 20% lower glicentin levels (P < .01) compared with the NGT group.
During OGTT, compared with controls, the glicentin/glucagon ratios were lower in the NGT group (P < .01), IGT group (P < .05) and type 2 diabetes group (P < .001).
“In adolescents with obesity, insulin and glucagon levels are elevated and the progression to [type 2 diabetes] is related to a further increase of these hormones as well as an early phase hyperglucagonemic response to OGTT,” the researchers wrote. “Collectively, this reveals a change in the composition of the plasma pool of proglucagon-derived peptides toward more pancreatically cleaved and less intestinally cleaved proglucagon in pediatric obesity and [type 2 diabetes]. This suggests that elevating incretin hormones and suppressing glucagon are treatment strategies worthwhile exploring in this patient group.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.