title: Serum fetuin-A concentrations are elevated in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatic steatosis is associated with an increased risk of diabetes. Although the levels of serum fetuin-A, a liver-derived glycoprotein that impairs insulin signalling, are positively correlated with hepatic steatosis, the levels of fetuin-A in subjects with impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (NDD) have not been established. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship among serum fetuin-A concentrations, IFG, IGT and NDD in Chinese subjects without nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 360 age- and sex-matched subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), IFG, IGT and NDD were recruited in this case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Each subject was assessed by abdominal ultrasound to exclude the presence of NAFLD. Serum fetuin-A concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared between NGT, IFG, IGT and NDD groups. The association with clinical and metabolic parameters was also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum fetuin-A concentrations were higher in NDD and IGT groups than NGT groups (341 ± 88, 335 ± 90, and 300 ± 75 μg/ml). In multiple linear regression analysis, IGT (P < 0·01) and NDD (P < 0·05) were the positively associated factors of serum fetuin-A concentrations, but age (P < 0·05) was a negatively associated factor after adjusting for age, anthropometric indices, lipid profile, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), adiponectin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IGT and NDD are positively associated with serum fetuin-A concentrations in subjects without NAFLD independent of cardiometabolic risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Horng-Yih
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: Yi-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hung-Tsung
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jin-Shang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Feng-Hwa
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Chih-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein