Renal function is independently associated with circulating betatrophin.

OBJECTIVE:Betatrophin has been identified as a marker linking liver with beta cell function and lipid metabolism in murine models. Until now, the regulation of circulating betatrophin in humans is not entirely clear. We here analyzed the relation of betatrophin levels to phenotypes of the metabolic syndrome and speculated that renal function might influence circulating betatrophin levels and explain age-dependent changes of betatrophin. SUBJECTS:We analyzed blood samples from 535 individuals participating in the Metabolic Syndrome Berlin Potsdam study. RESULTS:In a crude analysis we found a positive correlation between betatrophin levels and HbA1c (r = 0.24; p < 0.001), fasting glucose (r = 0.20; p < 0.001) and triglycerides (r = 0.12; p = 0.007). Furthermore betatrophin was positively correlated with age (r = 0.47; p