Role of Haptoglobin in Health and Disease: A Focus on Diabetes

In Brief Prospective identification of individuals with diabetes who are at greatest risk for developing complications would have considerable public health importance by allowing appropriate resources to be focused on those who would benefit most from aggressive intervention. Haptoglobin (Hp) is an acute-phase protein that is crucial for the elimination of free hemoglobin and the neutralization of oxidative damage. In the past two decades, associations have been made between polymorphisms in Hp and complications arising from diabetes. Individuals with polymorphism in Hp have been shown to have significantly higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This review summarizes the current literature on the role of Hp in health and disease, with a focus on diabetes.