Correlation of Astrocyte Elevated Gene-1 Expression with Clinical Phenotypes in Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Pilot Study

A bstract Background: The onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) depends on a combination of genetic and environmental elements. Although researchers have pinpointed various single-nucleotide polymorphisms linked to T2DM risk, the physiological role of distinct gene expressions remains unclear. Astrocyte elevated gene-1 ( AEG-1 ) plays a crucial role in lipid homeostasis and interacts with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors. This pilot study investigated how varying AEG-1 gene expression in peripheral blood monocytes correlates with clinical phenotypes in newly diagnosed T2DM patients. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional pilot study, we enrolled 16 newly diagnosed T2DM patients from the endocrine outpatient department of Bangladesh Medical University, Bangladesh. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were sorted from the whole blood, and ribonucleic acid was extracted, followed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis to study the gene expression patterns. Results: AEG-1 expression varied widely across the cohort, including three cases of marked downregulation. We found no statistically significant correlation between overall AEG-1 expression and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ( r = 0.349, P = 0.185) or waist circumference ( r = 0.216, P = 0.421). Similarly, subgroup analyses showed no significant differences in median AEG-1 expression based on glycemic control thresholds (HbA1c < 8.0% vs. ≥8.0%, P = 0.510) or weight categories (body mass index <25 vs. ≥25 kg/m 2 , P = 0.792). Conclusion: Although AEG-1 gene expression fluctuates significantly in newly diagnosed T2DM patients, it did not correlate with the severity of hyperglycemia or adiposity in this small cohort. These preliminary findings highlight the need for larger, adequately powered studies to clarify the clinical and metabolic relevance of AEG-1 in T2DM.