Clinical Research
Copyright ©2005 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 7, 2005; 11(1): 149-153
Published online Jan 7, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i1.149
Significant association of insulin and proinsulin with clustering of cardiovascular risk factors
En-Zhi Jia, Zhi-Jian Yang, Shi-Wei Chen, Guang-Yao Qi, Chun-Fa You, Jian-Feng Ma, Jing-Xin Zhang, Zhen-Zhen Wang, Wei-Chong Qian, Xin-Li Li, Hai-Yan Wang, Wen-Zhu Ma
En-Zhi Jia, Zhi-Jian Yang, Zhen-Zhen Wang, Wei-Chong Qian, Xin-Li Li, Hai-Yan Wang, Wen-Zhu Ma, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
Shi-Wei Chen, Guang-Yao Qi, Chun-Fa You, The Disease Control Center of Pizhou City, Pizhou 221300, Jiangsu Province, China
Jian-Feng Ma, Department of Central Clinical Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
Jing-Xin Zhang, Department of Nuclear Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. En-Zhi Jia, Department of Cardiovascular Epidemiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Guangzhou road 300, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China. enzhijia@yahoo.com.cn
Telephone: +86-13951623205
Received: November 17, 2003
Revised: November 18, 2003
Accepted: February 1, 2004
Published online: January 7, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the association between true insulin and proinsulin and clustering of cardiovascular risk factors.

METHODS: Based on the random stratified sampling principles, 1196 Chinese people (533 males and 663 females, aged 35-59 years with an average age of 46.69 years) were recruited. Biotin-avidin based double monoclonal antibody ELISA method was used to detect the true insulin and proinsulin, and a risk factor score was set to evaluate individuals according to the number of risk factors.

RESULTS: The median (quartile range) of true insulin and proinsulin was 4.91 mIu/L (3.01-7.09 mIu/L) and 3.49 pmol/L (2.14-5.68 pmol/L) respectively, and the true insulin level of female subjects was significantly higher than that of male subjects (P = 0.000), but the level of proinsulin displayed no significant difference between males and females (P = 0.566). The results of covariate ANOVA after age and sex were controlled showed that subjects with any of the risk factors had a significantly higher true insulin level (P = 0.002 for hypercholesterolemia, P = 0.021 for high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, P = 0.003 for low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and P = 0.000 for other risk factors) and proinsulin level (P = 0.001 for low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and P = 0.000 for other risk factors) than those with no risk factors. Furthermore, subjects with higher risk factor scores had a higher true insulin and proinsulin level than those with lower risk factor scores (P = 0.000). The multiple linear regression models showed that true insulin and proinsulin were significantly related to cardiovascular risk factor scores respectively (P = 0.000).

CONCLUSION: True insulin and proinsulin are significantly associated with the clustering of cardiovascular risk factors.

Keywords: True insulin; Proinsulin; Cardiovascular diseases