Serum irisin levels in new-onset type 2 diabetes

Aims: Irisin has been identified as a novel myokine that drives brown-fat-like conversion of white adipose tissue. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated whether serum irisin levels are decreased in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared with control subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), and assessed the association between serum irisin levels and various metabolic parameters. Methods: The study population was selected from a population-based study and included 104 subjects with NGT and 104 subjects with new-onset T2D. Serum irisin and adiponectin levels and metabolic parameters were measured. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between irisin levels and newly diagnosed T2D. Results: Serum irisin levels were significantly decreased in the new-onset T2D group compared with the NGT control group (p= 0.003). In a multivariable model adjusted for various metabolic parameters, increased irisin levels were associated with reduced odds (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.47-0.88, p= 0.006) of prevalent newly diagnosed T2D. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis showed that 2. h plasma glucose was an independent variable influencing serum irisin levels (p= 0.004). Conclusion: In the present study, we found that serum irisin levels were decreased in T2D patients and inversely associated with newly diagnosed T2D, suggesting that irisin may play a crucial role in glucose intolerance and T2D.