Immunoassays for the incretin hormones GIP and GLP-1

Analysis of glucagon-like peptide 1; what to measure?

BACKGROUND

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is a gut hormone which acts as an incretin and is therefore of major interest in treatment of type II diabetes mellitus. GLP-1 circulates in many different forms, some of which are biologically active and others are not. Our hypothesis was that various methods to measure GLP-1 detect different forms of GLP-1, which may cause confusion when comparing results.

METHODS

We compared three assays, the GLP-1 (active) ELISA (Linco research; ELISA(LINCO)), GLP-1 (total) RIA (Linco research; RIA(LINCO)) and the total GLP-1 RIA developed by the group of Holst (RIA(HOLST)) on specimens obtained during meal studies. In addition, we studied the effect of addition of a DPP-4 inhibitor.

RESULTS

The correlation between RIA(LINCO) and ELISA(LINCO) was highest (r=0.76; n=35; p<0.01), whereas results of RIA(HOLST) correlated less with those of RIA(LINCO) and ELISA(LINCO) (r=0.35 and 0.39 respectively; n=35; p<0.05). GLP-1 results measured with ELISA(LINCO) were higher (median 28%; p<0.001) upon addition of the DPP-4 inhibitor.

CONCLUSION

Two commercially available GLP-1 assays do not necessarily give results equal to the well-defined GLP-1 assay developed in Copenhagen. Absolute values are also different due to differences in standardisation. Moreover, assays detect different forms of GLP-1, which hampers comparison to published data.

Sex steroids affect triglyceride handling, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, and insulin sensitivity: a 1-week randomized clinical trial in healthy young men

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate metabolic effects of sex steroids in nonfasting and fasting conditions, independent from changes in body composition.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A randomized clinical trial was performed to create contrasting sex steroid levels in healthy young men: by letrozole (aromatase inhibitor) to lower estradiol (E(2)) and increase testosterone (group T, n = 10) versus letrozole plus E(2) patches to lower T and raise E(2) (group E, n = 10). Mixed meals and hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps were performed before and after a 1-week treatment period.

RESULTS

Following intervention, the postprandial triglyceride response displayed a diverging response with a decline in group T and an increase in group E; the postprandial glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) response increased in group T. Insulin sensitivity increased in group T but remained unaltered in group E.

CONCLUSIONS

In healthy young men, short-term changes in sex steroids affect postprandial triglyceride and GIP response and insulin sensitivity.