Cited 17 times since 2021 (4.6 per year) source: EuropePMC BMJ open diabetes research & care, Volume 9, Issue 1, 1 1 2021, Pages e002345 Plasma protein <i>N-</i>glycosylation is associated with cardiovascular disease, nephropathy, and retinopathy in type 2 diabetes. Memarian E, 't Hart LM, Slieker RC, Lemmers RFL, van der Heijden AA, Rutters F, Nijpels G, Schoep E, Lieverse AG, Sijbrands EJG, Wuhrer M, van Hoek M, Dotz V
Introduction
Although associations of total plasma N-glycome (TPNG) with type 2 diabetes have been reported, little is known on the role of TPNG in type 2 diabetes complications, a major cause of type 2 diabetes-related morbidity and mortality. Here, we assessed TPNG in relation to type 2 diabetes complications in subsamples of two Dutch cohorts using mass spectrometry (n=1815 in DiaGene and n=1518 in Hoorn Diabetes Care System).
Research design and methods
Blood plasma samples and technical replicates were pipetted into 96-well plates in a randomized manner. Peptide:N-glycosidase F (PNGase F) was used to release N-glycans, whereafter sialic acids were derivatized for stabilization and linkage differentiation. After total area normalization, 68 individual glycan compositions were quantified in total and were used to calculate 45 derived traits which reflect structural features of glycosylation. Associations of glycan features with prevalent and incident microvascular or macrovascular complications were tested in logistic and Cox regression in both independent cohorts and the results were meta-analyzed.
Results
Our results demonstrated similarities between incident and prevalent complications. The strongest association for prevalent cardiovascular disease was a high level of bisection on a group of diantennary glycans (A2FS0B; OR=1.38, p=1.34×10-11), while for prevalent nephropathy the increase in 2,6-sialylation on triantennary glycans was most pronounced (A3E; OR=1.28, p=9.70×10-6). Several other TPNG features, including fucosylation, galactosylation, and sialylation, firmly demonstrated associations with prevalent and incident complications of type 2 diabetes.
Conclusions
These findings may provide a glance on how TPNG patterns change before complications emerge, paving the way for future studies on prediction biomarkers and potentially disease mechanisms.
