Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Apelin is one of the cardiovascular factors, adipokin, which plays an important role not only in the pathogenesis of hypertension, but also of type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aim of the study was to assess apelin levels in blood serum and investigate its relationship with duration of diabetes in hypertension patients with T2D.

Methods: The study involved 63 hypertension patients grades 2–3 with T2D (32 men and 31 women) aged 43 to 70. Depending on the duration of diabetes three groups of patients were formed: 1. patients with T2D duration of 1 year (24%), 2. patients with T2D duration of 1–5 years (44%), 3. patients with T2D duration of more than 5 years (32%). The blood level of apelin was tested using an ELISA. The control group consisted of 14 practically healthy people.

Results: The levels of apelin in blood in the hypertension patients T2DM were significantly lower compared to healthy volunteers – 0.882(0.788; 0.924) ng/ml vs 1.097(0.944; 1.171) ng/ml, P<0.01. Among patients with T2D duration of 1 year apelin levels were 0.926(0.871; 0.948) ng/ml (P<0.01 vs control group), in patients with T2D duration over 5 years – 0.883(0.801; 0.911) ng/ml (P<0.001 versus control group), in patients with T2D duration of more than 5 years – 0.855(0.736; 0.863) ng/ml (P<0,001 vs control group). Patients with T2D duration of more than 5 years had significantly lower blood levels of apelin than in patients with T2D duration of 1 year – 0.855(0.736; 0.863) ng/ml vs 0.926(0.871; 0.948) ng/ml, P<0.05.

Conclusion: In hypertension patients with T2D blood levels of apelin were lower than in healthy subjects. Patients with long duration of diabetes (over 5 years) had significant reduction of apelin compared to patients with T2D duration of 1 year. This may indicate deepening of disorders of apelin production with increasing duration of T2D.