The association between gut peptides and markers of obesity and insulin resistance in lean and obese individuals in the United Arab Emirates
Description
Objective: To compare fasting gut peptides levels between obese and non-obese emirati adults and investigate possible associations of these hormones with markers of obesity and insulin resistance. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 43 obese (body mass index (BMI): 43.12±6.83; mean age, 29.95±9.13 years) and 31 age- and sex-matched lean subjects (BMI: 22.49±1.93; mean age 29.67±10.73 years). BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), percentage body fat (PBF), fasting blood levels of GLP-1, GLP-2, insulin, leptin, ghrelin, CCK, PYY), blood sugar (FBS), and Homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were assessed. Associations between gut peptides and indices of obesity and IR were tested using Independents-samples t-test, Mann-Whitney-U, partial correlation, and logistic regression. Results: FBS, insulin, HOMA-IR, GLP-1, GLP2, and Leptin were significantly higher in the obese group (p<0.05), whereas ghrelin and CCK were significantly higher in lean participants (p<0.05). No between-group significant differences were noted regarding PYY. Controlling for BMI, GLP-1 was correlated with WHtR (r=0.312, p=0.039), and WC among females only (r=0.447, p<0.001). Insulin was positively correlated with WHtR (r=0.275, p=0.019), while, ghrelin was inversely correlated with WHtR (r=-0.302, p=0.019). GLP-1 and GLP-2 were correlated with insulin (r=0.612, p<0.001; r=0.236, p=0.046, respectively). GLP-1 was moderately correlated with HOMA-IR (r=0.667, p<0.001). None of the gut peptides was correlated with FBS. PYY was not correlated with any marker. In the regression, GLP-1 was positively associated with obesity, WC, WHtR, and HOMA-IR (ExpB:1.367, 95%CI: 1.117-1.672; ExpB: 1.196, 95%CI: 1.001-1.430; ExpB: 1.591, 95%CI: 1.072-2.363; ExpB: 1.221, 95%CI: 1.079-1.382; respectively), and negatively associated with PBF (ExpB: 0.717, 95%CI: 0.542-0.949). Leptin was also positively associated with obesity (ExpB: 1.239, 95%CI: 1.018-1.508). Conclusions: Obese and lean adults displayed significant differences in plasma gut peptides levels. GLP-1 levels was independently associated with markers of obesity and IR. Restoring the disordered gut hormone balance in obesity may represent a major potential therapeutic target.