Decreased Serum Dickkopf-1 Levels After Hypoglycemic Therapy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

AIM

Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) is a major inhibitor of Wingless protein signaling pathway, which is involved in glucose metabolism and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate the changes of serum DKK-1 levels after hypoglycemic treatments and the relationship between DKK-1 and clinical parameters.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was a sub-study of a previously published clinical trial (the effect of Acarbose on glycemic variability in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using premixed insulin compared to metformin). All subjects underwent anthropometric and biochemical assessments at baseline and endpoint. Serum DKK-1 levels of 92 subjects were measured at baseline and after 12-week hypoglycemic treatment.

RESULTS

DKK-1 levels were significantly decreased after hypoglycemic treatment for 12 weeks ( < 0.001). ΔDKK-1 levels were not correlated with improvement of metabolic parameters (all > 0.05) but were negatively correlated with baseline DKK-1 levels (r = -0.263, = 0.011). Spearman correlation showed that baseline DKK-1 levels were positively related to baseline total cholesterol (r = 0.226, = 0.030) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (r = 0.277, = 0.007). Compared with the higher baseline DKK-1 group (≥3700 pg/mL), subjects in the lower baseline DKK-1 group (<3700 pg/mL) had significantly lower baseline glycated hemoglobin A1c levels ( = 0.008) and LDL-C levels ( = 0.048). Systolic and diastolic pressure were decreased more significantly in the lower baseline DKK-1 group than that in the higher baseline DKK-1 group (both < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Serum DKK-1 levels were decreased after hypoglycemic treatments. Patients with lower baseline DKK-1 levels were featured by more favorable cardiometabolic factors.