title: Serum fibroblast growth factor 21 was elevated in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus and was associated with the presence of carotid artery plaques.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is an important regulator of glucose/lipid metabolism. Although there are studies examining the relationship between serum FGF21 levels and glucose homeostasis, the role of FGF21 remains unclear. The objective of this study was to examine whether serum FGF21 levels are associated with metabolic parameters in subjects with varying degrees of obesity and glucose tolerance and with complications in subjects with type2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study consisted of 213 subjects who were lean and had normal glucose tolerance (lean NGT), were overweight with NGT, had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or had T2DM. Serum FGF21 levels and their associations with the parameters of adiposity, glucose tolerance and the presence of diabetic complications were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum FGF21 levels in T2DM were higher than in lean NGT. Serum FGF21 levels showed a positive correlation with the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) in all subjects except for the T2DM subjects, who showed a correlation after adjustment of age, gender and body mass index. Moreover, the subjects with carotid artery plaque showed higher serum FGF21 levels than those without complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum FGF21 levels were associated with the urine ACR and diabetic complications including carotid artery plaque.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: So-Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Min Suk
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang-A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Eun Suk
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Seung Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Hae Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae Jung
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwan-Woo
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000097:blood*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: C414620:fibroblast growth factor 21; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors