Insulin resistance, leptin and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 levels in diabetic and non-diabetic Afro-Caribbean subjects.

AIM

To determine how the levels of leptin and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) are associated with insulin resistance (IR) in obese, non-obese, diabetic and non-diabetic subjects.

METHODS

112 type 2 diabetics and 43 non-diabetics were studied fasting. Anthropometric indices were measured and glucose, insulin, leptin and MCP-1 were measured in blood. IR was calculated.

RESULTS

MCP-1 level was significantly higher in diabetics than non-diabetics irrespective of gender (p < 0.05). Irrespective of diabetes status, the serum leptin concentration was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in obese and females subjects than in non-obese and male subjects respectively. There were no significant correlations between IR and MCP-1 or leptin in all subgroups of subjects studied. General linear modelling analysis showed that only diabetes state significantly predicted MCP-1 levels (p < 0.05) whereas non of the factors predicted leptin levels (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Routine measurement of leptin and MCP-1 would be potentially useful in assessment of patients for the metabolic syndrome or coronary heart disease especially in black population.