Decreased serum fibroblast growth factor 19 level is a risk factor for type 1 diabetes

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence suggests that fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) is a regulator of glucose metabolism and may provide a new therapeutic target for type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, the clinical relevance of FGF19 in T1D remains unclear. In this study, we examined the relationship between the serum FGF19 concentration and T1D. METHODS: This study included 81 newly diagnosed T1D patients and 80 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. The correlation between the FGF19 concentration and clinical characteristics of T1D patients and healthy controls was investigated. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine whether levels of FGF19 were independently associated with T1D. RESULTS: The fasting serum FGF19 levels in the T1D group were significantly lower than those in the control group [159.9 (100.0–272.7) vs. 205.0 (126.9–307.9) pg/mL, P=0.008]. In all subjects, serum FGF19 levels were negatively correlated with fasting blood glucose (FBG) (r=−0.192, P=0.015). In the control group, serum FGF19 levels were positively correlated with total cholesterol (TC) (r=0.338, P=0.002) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) (r=0.300, P=0.007). In addition to sex and body mass index (BMI), FGF19 was an independent impact factor for T1D [odds ratio (OR) =0.541, P=0.023; adjusted for sex, age, BMI, presence of hypertension, and presence of dyslipidemia]. CONCLUSIONS: Low serum FGF19 level is associated with T1D, which could serve as a risk factor for T1D.