Role of multifunctional Chemerin in obesity and preclinical diabetes

Background "Chemerin" is a multifuntional peptide involved in lipid and glucose metabolism. Elevated levels of this peptide have been associated with insulin resistance and systemic inflammation. This study aims to identify whether Chemerin along with other inflammatory markers (TNFα and hsCRP) can discriminate subjects with subclinical diabetes. Methodology/findings Fifty-two asymptomatic healthy volunteers and 22 chronic diabetics (T2DM) were enrolled in a cross sectional study design. They were subjected to a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test [OGTT (2-h glucose > 200 mg/dL)] and were then classified as either newly diagnosed diabetics (NDM) (n = 23) or healthy controls (n = 29). Our results showed a higher Chemerin level in NDM (p < 0.01; MWU) compared to controls and previously diagnosed DM. Using ROC analysis, Chemerin level in NDM and T2DM had AUC of 0.963 and 0.764 respectively, compared to healthy controls. We suggest that the cut off of 13.7 ng/ml of Chemerin can discriminate 73% of NDM subjects with impaired glucose level with 91% and 96% of sensitivity and specificity respectively. Elevated serum Chemerin in NDM group is a surrogate of impairment in glucose metabolism in obese individual. Conclusions Chemerin along with other inflammatory biomarkers suggest an ongoing inflammatory process in a high risk obese group that indicates a pre-diabetic state.