Expansion of human alpha-cell area is associated with a higher maximum body mass index before the onset of type 2 diabetes

J Diabetes. 2023 Mar;15(3):277-282. doi: 10.1111/1753-0407.13370. Epub 2023 Feb 26.

Harutoshi Ozawa¹, Kenji Fukui¹, Yukari Fujita^{1

2}, Chisaki Ishibashi¹, Sho Yoneda^{1

3}, Takao Nammo^{1

4}, Shingo Fujita¹, Megu Yamaguchi Baden¹, Takekazu Kimura¹, Ayumi Tokunaga¹, Junji Kozawa^{1

4}, Hidetoshi Eguchi⁵, Iichiro Shimomura¹

¹ Department of Metabolic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
² Department of Community Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
³ Yoneda Clinic, Osaka, Japan.
⁴ Department of Diabetes Care Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
⁵ Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.

Abstract

Highlights

We examined whether maximum body mass index (BMI) before the onset of diabetes (MBBO) affects histological findings of islet cells.
We divided patients into two groups according to an MBBO cutoff of 25 kg/m² or BMI cutoff of 21 kg/m². We compared immunohistochemical parameters between the MBBO groups or BMI groups.
The relative alpha‐cell area in the high MBBO group was significantly higher than that in the low MBBO group. There was no difference in the other parameters between the MBBO groups or BMI groups.