Association of plasma ghrelin levels and ghrelin rs4684677 polymorphism with mild cognitive impairment in type 2 diabetic patients.
OBJECTIVE
People with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at increased risks of cognitive impairment. We aimed to investigate the association of plasma ghrelin levels and ghrelin rs4684677 polymorphism with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in T2DM patients.


RESULTS
In addition to elevated glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), T2DM patients with MCI had decreased plasma ghrelin levels compared with their healthy-cognition subjects (all p < 0.05). Further logistic regression analysis showed that ghrelin level was one of independent factors for MCI in T2DM patients (p < 0.05). Moreover, partial correlation analysis demonstrated that ghrelin levels were positively associated with the scores of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (r = 0.196, p = 0.041) and Auditory Verbal Learning Test-delayed recall (r = 0.197, p = 0.040) after adjustment for HbA1c, FBG and HOMA-IR, wherein the latter represented episodic memory functions. No significant differences were found for the distributions of genotype and allele of ghrelin rs4684677 polymorphism between MCI and control group.


METHODS
A total of 218 T2DM patients, with 112 patients who satisfied the MCI diagnostic criteria and 106 who exhibited healthy cognition, were enrolled in this study. Demographic characteristics, clinical variables and cognitive performances were extensively assessed. Plasma ghrelin levels and ghrelin rs4684677 polymorphism were also determined.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that decreased ghrelin levels are associated with MCI, especially with episodic memory dysfunction in T2DM populations.
Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, PR China, 210009.|Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, PR China, 210009.
Rong
R
Huang
Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, PR China, 210009.
Jing
J
Han
Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, PR China, 210009.
Sai
S
Tian
Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, PR China, 210009.
Rongrong
R
Cai
Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, PR China, 210009.
Jie
J
Sun
Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, PR China, 210009.
Yanjue
Y
Shen
Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, PR China, 210009.
Shaohua
S
Wang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis
D015415:Biomarkers; D054439:Ghrelin; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin
ghrelin; mild cognitive impairment; polymorphism; type 2 diabetes mellitus