The relationship of serum galectin-3 levels with obesity and insulin resistance

Abstract

Aim: Galectin-3 affects inflammation, cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and angiogenesis. Upon examining the pathogenesis of obesity and functions of galectin-3, we thought that galectin-3 may play a significant role in obese patients. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between obesity, insulin resistance and galectin-3 levels. 

Methods: Eighty five patients aged between 18-50 years were included in this cross-sectional study. BMI>30 were considered obese, those between 25-30 and 18-25 were considered overweight and normal weight, respectively. Patients with HOMA-IR>2.5 were considered insulin-resistant, and those with <2.5 were evaluated as insulin non-resistant.Galectin-3 levels were measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: Serum galectin-3 levels were significantly higher in obese patients, but not statistically significantly different between those with and without insulin resistance. Galectin-3 levels were also significantly correlated with BMI and total cholesterol levels, but not correlated with HOMA-IR. 

Conclusion: In obesity, serum galectin-3 levels may increase to compensate for the inflammation. Our results make it difficult to establish a relationship between insulin resistance and galectin-3.

Keywords

• Galectin-3,Obesity,Insulin Resistance,Diabetes Mellitus,Metabolic disease

Serum galektin-3 düzeylerinin obezite ve insulin direnci ile ilişkisi

Öz

Amaç: Galektin-3, inflamasyon, hücre yapışması, proliferasyonu, farklılaşması ve anjiyogenezi etkiler. Obezitenin patogenezi ve galektin-3'ün fonksiyonlarını incelediğimizde, galektin-3'ün obez hastalarda önemli bir rol oynuyor olabileceğini düşündük. Çalışmamızda obezite ve insülin direnci ile galektin-3 arasındaki ilişkiyi değerlendirmeyi amaçladık.

Yöntemler: 18-50 yaş aralığında erkek ve kadınlardan oluşan 85 olgu bu kesitsel çalışmaya dahil edildi. BMI >30 olan hastalar obez, 25-30 arasında olanlar fazla kilolu, 18-25 arasında olanlar normal kilolu olarak değerlendirildi. HOMA-IR değeri >2,5 olanlar insülin dirençli, <2,5 olanlar ise insülin direnci olmayan hastalar olarak gruplandırıldı. Serum galektin-3 düzeyleri Enzim-bağlı immunosorbent yöntemi ile ölçüldü. 

Bulgular: Fazla kilolu ve normal kilolulara göre serum galektin-3 düzeyleri obezlerde daha yüksek düzeylerde idi. Fazla kilolu ve normal kilolular arasında serum galektin-3 düzeyleri anlamlı farklı değildi. İnsülin direnci olan ve olmayan grup arasında galektin-3 düzeyleri arasında herhangi bir fark görülmedi. Galektin-3 düzeyleri BMI ve total kolesterol ile korele iken, HOMA-IR ile arasında anlamlı bir korelasyon saptanmadı.

Sonuç: Obez hastaların serum galektin-3 seviyeleri, diğer gruplara oranla anlamlı olarak daha yüksek saptandı. Obezitedeki inflamatuvar süreçte kompensasyon amacı ile koruyucu etki göstermek üzere galektin-3 düzeylerinin arttığını düşünmekteyiz. Ancak, bulgularımız insülin direnci ve HOMA-IR ile serum galektin-3 düzeyleri arasında bir ilişki kurmayı güçleştirmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Galektin-3,Obezite,İnsülin Direnci,Diabetes Mellitus,Metabolik hastalık

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