Serum betatrophin level of newly diagnosed and chronic diabetic patients and its relationship with metabolic parameters

BACKGROUND: Angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL8) that was originally called betatrophin is a novel growth factor which is mainly secreted by the liver and associated with diabetes. Hence, it can be considered as a clinical parameter for diagnosis or treatment of diabetes. However, there are more unknown features about its relationship with diabetes that need to be clarified. The aim of this study was to understand the role of progress of diabetes on betatrophin levels. Therefore, serum betatrophin level of newly diagnosed patients and patients with chronic diabetes and its relationship with metabolic parameters were investigated. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, previous diabetic patients were compared with new diabetic patients in terms of betatrophin and other parameters, and matching on age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) was performed. New cases were recognized by endocrinologist and chronic patients were selected in diabetes center of Tohid Hospital, Sanandaj, Iran, in 2015-2016. Background information including height, weight, waist circumference, abdomen circumference, and hip circumference were collected. Fasting blood sugar (FBS) was measured by glucometer and separated blood sera were used for insulin and betatrophin measurement by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. RESULTS: The mean values of the betatrophin in the new and chronic diabetic individuals were 10.30 ± 6.31 and 10.71 ± 6.31 ng/ml, respectively, and no significant differences were seen between two groups. There was no significant relationship between betatrophin with metabolic parameters; however, a positive correlation with FBS in the newly diagnosed and a negative correlation with FBS in the chronic patients were observed. CONCLUSION: Betatrophin is closely associated with glucose metabolism. It seems that chronic diabetes does not alter betatrophin levels.