The Serum Concentrations of Hedgehog-Interacting Protein, a Novel Biomarker, Were Decreased in Overweight or Obese Subjects

Hsuan-Wen Chou; Hao-Chang Hung; Ching-Han Lin; An-Chi Lin; Ye-Fong Du; Kai-Pi Cheng; Chung-Hao Li; Chih-Jen Chang; Hung-Tsung Wu; Horng-Yih Ou

doi:10.3390/jcm10040742

The Serum Concentrations of Hedgehog-Interacting Protein, a Novel Biomarker, Were Decreased in Overweight or Obese Subjects

J Clin Med. 2021 Feb 12;10(4):742. doi: 10.3390/jcm10040742.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70403, Taiwan.
² Department of Health Management Center, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70403, Taiwan.
³ Department of Family Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70403, Taiwan.
⁴ Graduate Institute of Metabolism and Obesity Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.

Abstract

Although it was known that obesity is an independent risk factor for metabolic disorders including diabetes, the factors that link these diseases were obscure. The Hedgehog-interacting protein (Hhip) is a negative regulator in tissue remodeling, and inhibits the proliferation of adipocytes, and promotes their differentiation. In addition, Hhip was positively associated with diabetes. However, the relationship between Hhip and obesity in the human body remains unclear. An analysis of the relationship between Hhip and normal weight, overweight, and obesity levels. Participants receiving a physical checkup were recruited. Anthropometric and biochemical data were collected. Serum Hhip levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Subjects were classified into normal-weight, overweight, and obese groups based on their body mass index (BMI). The association between Hhip and obesity was examined by multivariate linear regression analysis. In total, 294 subjects who were either of a normal weight (n = 166), overweight (n = 90), or obese (n = 38) were enrolled. Hhip concentrations were 6.51 ± 4.86 ng/mL, 5.79 ± 4.33 ng/mL, and 3.97 ± 3.4 ng/mL in normal-weight, overweight, and obese groups, respectively (p for trend = 0.032). Moreover, the regression analysis showed that BMI (β = -0.144, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.397-0.046, p = 0.013) was negatively associated with Hhip concentrations after adjusting for sex and age. Being overweight (β = -0.181, 95% CI = -3.311-0.400, p = 0.013) and obese (β = -0.311, 95% CI = -6.393-2.384, p < 0.001) were independently associated with Hhip concentrations after adjusting for sex, age, fasting plasma glucose, the insulin level, and other cardiometabolic risk factors. Our results showed that overweight and obese subjects had lower Hhip concentrations than those of normal weight. Being overweight and obese were negatively associated with Hhip concentrations. Hhip might be a link between obesity and diabetes.

Keywords: hedgehog-interacting protein; impaired fasting glucose; impaired glucose tolerance; newly diagnosed diabetes; normal glucose tolerance.