@article{Kocak_Aktas_Erkus_Yis_Duman_Atak_Savli_2019, title={Neuregulin-4 is associated with plasma glucose and increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus}, volume={149}, url={https://smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/2687}, DOI={10.4414/smw.2019.20139}, abstractNote={<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> <p>Neuregulin-4 is a cytokine with many functions and is primarily produced by fat tissue.</p> <strong>AIM OF THE STUDY</strong> <p>The aim of the study was to observe the relationship between serum neuregulin-4 levels and diabetes regulation in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to compare neuregulin-4 levels of diabetic subjects with those in healthy controls.</p> <strong>METHODS</strong> <p>Patients with T2DM were included to the study. Healthy subjects were enrolled as controls. Subjects with T2DM with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) <7% were classed as well controlled and those with HbA1c ≥7% were classed as poorly controlled. Neuregulin-4 levels of the study and control groups were compared.</p> <strong>RESULTS</strong> <p>The neuregulin-4 levels of the poorly controlled T2DM, well-controlled T2DM and control groups were significantly different (p = 0.005). Neuregulin-4 was significantly correlated with fasting plasma glucose (r = 0.247, p = 0.002) but not with HbA1c. In a regression analysis model, 0.1 point elevation in neuregulin-4 levels increased the rate of existence of T2DM 4.4-fold (odds ratio 4.4, 95% confidence interval 1.26–15.1; p = 0.02).</p> <strong>CONCLUSION</strong> <p>Neuregulin-4 is significantly increased in patients with T2DM compared with control subjects, which means that it could be a marker of T2DM. Since neuregulin-4 was correlated with fasting glucose, we suggest that elevated neuregulin-4 could predict poor control in T2DM for short periods when HbA1c is not useful. Moreover, one unit elevation in neuregulin-4 (0.1 ng/ml) increases the rate of existence of T2DM 4.4-fold, independently from other variables.</p></p>}, number={4344}, journal={Swiss Medical Weekly}, author={Kocak, Mehmet Z. and Aktas, Gulali and Erkus, Edip and Yis, Ozgur M. and Duman, Tuba T. and Atak, Burcin M. and Savli, Haluk}, year={2019}, month={Oct.}, pages={w20139} }