Fibroblast growth factor-19: development, analytical characterization and clinical evaluation of a new ELISA test.
OBJECTIVE
Since fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF-19) is a potent metabolic regulator that influences glucose and lipid homeostasis, our aim was to develop an ELISA assay for measuring FGF-19 in human serum and to investigate its concentrations in healthy volunteers and patients suffering from metabolic syndrome.


METHODS
A sandwich ELISA method was developed for quantitative determination of human FGF-19 in serum samples. Blood pressure, waist circumference, FGF-21 serum levels, serum cholesterol, triacylglycerols, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, insulin, glucose, adiponectin, uric acid, creatinine, hs-CRP and calculated BMI and Quicki insulin sensitivity index were measured in 153 healthy volunteers and 66 persons with metabolic syndrome.


RESULTS
Neither sex nor age influenced FGF-19 serum concentration in the healthy volunteers. Probands with metabolic syndrome had 65 % lower FGF-19 serum values than the healthy ones (medians 158.6 versus 242.4 ng/L; p<0.01). FGF-19 correlated with glucose (r = -0.35, p<0.01), HDL (r = 0.24, p = 0.045), triacylglycerols (r = -0.19, p = 0.05) and with a number of other risk factors for metabolic syndrome (r = -0.28, p = 0.01). When adjusted to the concentrations of triacylglycerols, BMI and glucose, and finally to all data pertinent to FGF-19 (according to correlation analysis), our data indicate that FGF-19 is an independent marker of metabolic syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study demonstrates the analytical properties of the ELISA FGF-19 assay and its usefulness when studying the metabolic syndrome. Serum concentrations of FGF-19 could be new key predictors of metabolic syndrome and thereby even a new negative risk factor of atherosclerosis.
Stejskal
D
D
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Internal Department, Sternberk Hospital, Jivavska, Sternberk, Czech Republic. david.stejskal@nemstbk.cz
Karpísek
M
M
Hanulová
Z
Z
Stejskal
P
P
D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000032:analysis
C117476:FGF19 protein, human; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors