Sex Differences in Branched-chain Amino Acid and Tryptophan Metabolism and Pathogenesis of Youth-onset Type 2 Diabetes
Authors' conclusion
Increases in urinary BCAAs and BCKAs in adolescent females with T2D are accompanied by diversion of tryptophan metabolism from the serotonin to the kynurenine pathway. These adaptations associate with higher risks of T2D in obese adolescent females than adolescent males.
Study context
- Population
- Youth aged 12 to 21 years: overweight/obese with T2D, nondiabetic overweight/obese, and lean; groups comparable for age, pubertal status and ethnicity24-hour and first-morning urine
- Participants
- 42 / 56 / 43
- Exposure
- Youth with T2D vs nondiabetic overweight/obese vs lean youth
- T2Dn = 42
- Overweight/obesen = 56
- Lean controlsn = 43reference
- Outcome
- Urinary BCAAs, BCKAs and tryptophan metabolites
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), branched-chain ketoacids (BCKAs), tryptophan and kynurenine higher in urine of subjects with T2D
- No differences between lean controls and nondiabetic overweight/obese youth
- T2D associated with diversion of tryptophan from serotonin to kynurenine pathway: higher kynurenine/serotonin ratio, lower serotonin/tryptophan and 5-HIAA/kynurenine ratios
- Kruskal Wallis or ANOVA
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Correlation with body fat and HbA1c
- Urinary BCAAs, BCKAs, tryptophan and kynurenine-diversion ratios correlated positively with body fat metrics and HbA1c
Sex subgroups
- Increases in these metabolites in obese T2D group more pronounced and statistically significant only in adolescent girls
Baseline characteristics
- Youth with T2D predominantly female, with highest percent body fat
Original publication
Sex Differences in Branched-chain Amino Acid and Tryptophan Metabolism and Pathogenesis of Youth-onset Type 2 Diabetes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Published 8 December 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →