Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Clinical Diabetes in Postmenopausal Women

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between circulating levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a mesenchymal-derived pleiotrophic factor that is elevated in obesity, and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis among 892 postmenopausal women within the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS). RESULTS: HGF levels positively correlated with BMI and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance. In the multivariable analysis comparing the highest tertile with the lowest tertile of HGF, the odds ratio for prevalent diabetes was 2.47 (95% CI [1.12–5.47], P for trend = 0.014) after accounting for age, race, BMI, and other risk factors for diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: HGF levels are associated with the presence of type 2 diabetes in postmenopausal women. Future studies should consider the prospective evaluation of the association of HGF with the development of type 2 diabetes.