Effect of Sitagliptin on Serum Irisin Levels in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

INTRODUCTION: Irisin is a unique myokine with striking effects on regulating insulin sensitivity and energy metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the changes in serum irisin in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) following sitagliptin treatment. METHODS: Thirty-two patients with T2DM were treated with 100 mg/day sitagliptin for 16 weeks. Twenty age-, sex- and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy subjects were enrolled as the control group. Irisin and metabolic parameters were measured at baseline and after treatment. RESULTS: Patients with T2DM had lower irisin levels than the controls (10.03 ± 2.06 vs. 13.06 ± 3.10 ng/ml, P < 0.01). Sitagliptin treatment significantly increased serum irisin levels in T2DM patients compared to baseline (11.18 ± 1.91 vs. 10.03 ± 2.06 ng/ml, P < 0.01). Increased irisin levels were associated with decreased fasting blood glucose (FBG) (β = − 0.24, P < 0.05) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (β = − 0.15, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sitagliptin treatment significantly increased serum irisin levels in patients with T2DM, and the increase of the irisin level was associated with decreases of FBG and HbA1c levels. These results suggest that irisin might be involved in the antidiabetic mechanisms of sitagliptin. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04495881.