Key result
Elevated betatrophin levels were significantly associated with unfavorable cardiometabolic risk factors including high total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-C, but these associations were largely dependent on vitamin D deficiency.
Cross-Sectional (n=559)
No
p-value: p=<0.001
Elevated betatrophin levels are associated with adverse cardiometabolic risk factors in youths at risk for metabolic syndrome, but this association is largely dependent on the presence of vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D status warrants consideration in betatrophin assessments among at-risk youths; leaves open its role as independent biomarker or target.
BACKGROUND: Betatrophin has been recently reported to play a role in glucose homeostasis by inducing beta-cell proliferation in mice. However, studies in human are inconsistent. As a nutritionally-regulated liver-enriched factor, we hypothesize that betatrophin might be regulated by vitamin D, and ignorance of vitamin D status may explain the discrepancy in previous human studies. The aims of this study were to assess the association between circulating betatrophin and glucose homeostasis as well as other cardiometabolic variables in a cohort of youths at risk for metabolic syndrome and test the possible influence of vitamin D status on the association. METHODS: 559 subjects aged 14-28 years were recruited from Beijing children and adolescents metabolic syndrome study. All underwent a 2 h-oral glucose tolerance test. Serum levels of betatrophin, 25-hydroxy-vitamin D as well as adipokines including adiponectin and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) were measured by immunoassays. The relationships between betatrophin and insulin resistance, beta-cell function, other cardiometabolic variables and vitamin D status were evaluated. RESULTS: Participants in the highest quartile of betatrophin levels had the highest levels of total cholesterol (P < 0.001), triglyceride (P < 0.001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.001) and the lowest levels of vitamin D (P = 0.003). After stratification by vitamin D status, betatrophin in subjects with vitamin D deficiency were positively correlated with unfavorable metabolic profiles including high blood pressures, dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia, whereas betatrophin in those with higher vitamin D levels only showed negative association with fasting insulin, 2 h-insulin, and insulin resistance. In addition, adiponectin and FGF21 demonstrated the expected associations with metabolic parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated betatrophin levels were associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in this young population, but the association was largely dependent on vitamin D status. These findings may provide valuable insights in the regulation of betatrophin and help explain the observed discrepancies in literature.
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Fu et al. (2016) conducted a cross-sectional in At risk for metabolic syndrome (n=559). Circulating betatrophin levels vs. Lower betatrophin levels was evaluated on Association between betatrophin levels and lipid profiles (total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C) (p=<0.001). Elevated betatrophin levels were significantly associated with unfavorable cardiometabolic risk factors including high total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-C, but these associations were largely dependent on vitamin D deficiency.
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