Plasma Apelin And Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes In A Cohort From The Community

Apelin is a bioactive peptide and the endogenous ligand of APJ, a G-protein–coupled receptor. It is expressed in several organs and tissues including many regions of the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract, the heart, the lungs, and adipose tissue. The apelin/APJ system exerts a large number of physiological effects, including regulation of energy metabolism, fluid homeostasis, and cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and immune functions (1). Studies in rodents have shown that apelin has insulin-sensitizing effects and exerts a beneficial role on glucose homeostasis (1). Based on what is known of its physiological effects, it could be expected that apelin may have a protective effect against diabetes. However, data from large prospective studies addressing the relationship between apelin and the risk of diabetes in the general population are lacking. We therefore assessed associations of plasma apelin concentrations at baseline with the incidence of type 2 diabetes and related traits during a 9-year follow-up in 3,785 participants from DESIR (Donnees Epidemiologiques sur le Syndrome d’Insulino-Resistance), a cohort from the French general population. Apelin concentration was measured in fasting plasma-EDTA baseline samples with the human apelin-12 enzyme immunosorbent assay kit (Phoenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.). Mean ± SD plasma apelin at baseline was 186 ± 98 pg/mL in women and 185 ± 91 pg/mL in men ( P = 0.87). New cases of type 2 diabetes were observed during follow-up in 198 (5.2%) out of 3,785 participants with normal fasting glucose (NFG) or impaired fasting …