Serum complement C3 and islet β-cell function in patients with type 2 diabetes: A 4.6-year prospective follow-up study

• Published in: Endocrine 2020-02, Vol.67 (2), p.321-330
• Main Authors: Su, Jian-bin, Wu, Yun-Yu, Xu, Feng, Wang, Xing, Cai, Hong-li, Zhao, Li-hua, Zhang, Xiu-lin, Chen, Tong, Huang, Hai-yan, Wang, Xue-qin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Beta cells; Complement component C3; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Endocrinology; Glucose tolerance; Humanities and Social Sciences; Internal Medicine; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; multidisciplinary; Original Article; Science
• ISSN: 1355-008X; 1559-0100
• DOI: 10.1007/s12020-019-02144-z

Purpose Serum complement C3 has been shown to contribute to the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but how serum complement C3 affects islet β-cell function throughout the course of T2D is unclear. This study explored whether serum complement C3 is independently associated with changes in islet β-cell function over time in patients with T2D. Methods Serum complement C3 was measured, and endogenous β-cell function was evaluated by area under the C-peptide curve (AUC cp ) during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in 411 patients with T2D at baseline from 2011 to 2015. Next, 347 of those patients with available data were pooled for a final follow-up analysis from 2014 to 2018. Changes in islet β-cell function at follow-up were evaluated by AUC cp percentage changes (ΔAUC cp %). In addition, other possible clinical risks for diabetes were also examined. Results The 347 patients included in the analysis had a diabetes duration of 4.84 ± 3.63 years at baseline. Baseline serum complement C3 (baseline C3) levels were positively correlated with baseline natural logarithm of AUC cp (lnAUC cp ) ( n  = 347, r  = 0.288, p