Endocrine Abstracts

Fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) is a novel adipocytokine, which is believed to be involved in improvement of insulin sensitivity and pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.

The aim of the study was comparative assessment of FGF-21 concentrations in serum of patients with type 2 diabetes and evaluation of possible relationships between the studied cytokine and selected clinical and biochemical parameters.

Forty-four patients with type 2 diabetes, 24 women and 20 men aged 47–72 with the mean duration of diabetes 10.9±8.2 years. In fasting serum samples concentrations of glucose, insulin, lipids profile parameters, creatinine, CRP, fibrinogen, HbA1C, adiponectin and FGF-21 were determined at the time of admission to hospital and after 2 years of follow-up. The control group comprised 20 healthy persons matched for age to the study group.

We found significant differences concerning the medians of BMI 32.4 vs 24.1 kg/m², P< 0.001; waist circumference 114 vs 81 cm, P<0.001; HDL 42.5 vs 62.5 mg/dl, P<0.001; TG 152 vs 99 mg/dl, P<0.01 in the studied group in comparison with the control group, respectively. In patients with diabetes median FGF-21 concentration was 239.9 pg/ml and was significantly greater in comparison to the control group: 112.6 pg/ml P<0.01. After 2 years of follow-up the median FGF-21 concentration was 158.5 (35.7–1480). Significant correlations between FGF-21 concentrations and adiponectin (r=−0.24, P<0.05), weight (r=0.27, P<0.05), glucose (r=0.27, P<0.05), HDL (r=−0.26, P<0.05), TG (r=0.27, P<005) and eGFR (r=−0.28, P<0.05) were observed.

On the basis of the conducted studies it can be concluded that greater FGF-21 concentration observed in the examined group of patients with type 2 diabetes may result from compensatory reaction to metabolic disturbances or tissue resistance to this adipocytokine. Changes in parameters of metabolic control of diabetes are not connected with changes of FGF-21 concentrations.