title: Low serum galectin-3 concentrations are associated with insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Galectin-3 is a family of soluble beta-galactoside-binding lectins that play many important regulatory roles in inflammation. Galectin-3-deficient mice have been shown to exhibit excess adiposity, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and systemic inflammation. We investigated the association between serum galectin-3 and insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes using a glucose clamp method.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study. Twenty patients (mean fasting plasma glucose 7.6 mmol/L, HbA1c 7.2%, BMI 28.1 kg/m(2)) underwent a meal tolerance test and glucose clamp test. Participants were given a test meal and plasma glucose and insulin were measured at 0, 30, 60, 120 and 180 min. The glucose disposal rate was measured during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic glucose clamps. Serum galectin-3 levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean serum galectin-3 level was 5103 pg/ml. Galectin-3 levels correlated significantly with the glucose disposal rate (R = 0.71, P < 0.001), fasting insulin (R = -0.56, P < 0.01), homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (R = -0.52, P < 0.05), and the insulin sensitivity index (R = 0.62, P < 0.005). Galectin-3 levels also positively correlated with the serum adiponectin level (R = 0.61, P < 0.05), but not with the high-sensitive C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 and -10.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that low levels of serum galectin-3 are associated with insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohkura
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori Japan.
authors.forename: Youhei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujioka
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori Japan.
authors.forename: Risa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shiochi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori Japan.
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sumi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori Japan.
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Regional Medicine, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuzawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori Japan.
authors.forename: Shoichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Izawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Regional Medicine, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohkura
authors.affiliation: School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Japan.
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ueta
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Clinical Investigation, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Regional Medicine, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori Japan.
authors.forename: Shin-Ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
keywords: Galectin-3; Insulin resistance; Type 2 diabetes mellitus