Circulating asprosin levels are increased in patients with type 2 diabetes and associated with early-stage diabetic kidney disease

Asprosin was a newly identified secreted hormone which could induce hepatic glucose release. Since asprosin closely associated with the risk factors of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), including hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and inflammation, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between circulating asprosin levels and the early stage of DKD. 30 subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), 42 type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients without DKD and 33 T2DM patients with early stage of DKD were recruited. Early stage of DKD was defined as two consecutive measurements of urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) 30–299 mg/g and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73m2. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to explore the associations of circulating asprosin levels with eGFR and UACR. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association of circulating asprosin levels with the early stage of DKD. Circulating asprosin levels in Non-DKD and DKD groups were significantly higher than that in NGT group and the DKD group showed the highest levels. Circulating asprosin levels negatively correlated with eGFR (r = − 0.311, P = 0.007) and positively correlated with UACR (r = 0.345, P = 0.002) in T2DM patients. Even after multivariable adjustment, circulating asprosin levels were closely associated with eGFR and UACR and significantly increased ORs for early stage of DKD (OR = 3.973, P = 0.001). Circulating asprosin levels were increased in T2DM and associated with the early stage of DKD. The specific role of asprosin in DKD needs further investigation.