Serum Reg-Iα is not suitable marker of metabolic syndrome

Background: Reg-1 alpha plays a role in various types of tissue regeneration. Aim: To evaluate serum Reg-1 alpha for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. Methods: 14 non-obese, healthy subjects and 15 individuals with metabolic syndrome were studied. Anthropometric and laboratory analysis in sera (Body Mass Index - BMI, insulin, triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, uric acid, aglucose, Quicki calculation, Reg-1 alpha) were performed. Results: Reg-1 alpha levels did not differ between subjects with metabolic syndrome and healthy subjects (means 597.7 vs 631.1 ng/l, p<0.01) and positively correlated only with fasting glucose (r=0.34; p<0.01) and age (r=0.38; p<0.01); Reg-1 alpha correlated even after adjustment to age. Reg-1 alpha concentrations did not differ in men and women. Conclusions: Our study, for the first time, indicates that serum Reg-1 alpha is not useful for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.