Association of total and pancreatic serum amylase enzymatic activity with insulin resistance and the glucose and insulin responses to oral starch test in Mexican children

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the effect of serum amylase enzymatic activity on glucose metabolism. We investigated the association of serum amylase enzymatic activity with fasting plasma glucose, insulin resistance (IR), and the plasma glucose and insulin response to an oral starch test (OST) in Mexican children. METHODS: Anthropometric data, glucose and insulin levels, and the serum enzymatic activity of total (AMYt), salivary (AMY1), and pancreatic (AMY2) amylase were analysed in 764 children (N(normal weight) = 427/N(obesity) = 337). After categorization into low (LA) and high (HA) AMYt, an OST with commercial white bread was performed in 39 children (N(normal weight) = 17/N(obesity) = 22). RESULTS: A positive association between serum enzymatic activity of AMY2 and IR was observed in children with obesity (p = 0.018). Children with normal weight had lower plasma glucose and insulin response to OST than children with obesity (P(glucose) = 4.1 × 10(−12); P(insulin) = 2.1 × 10(−15)). Compared with the LA group, children with HA showed lower plasma glucose and insulin response to OST (P(glucose) ≤ 0.040; P(insulin) ≤ 0.015). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that AMY2 is positively associated with IR. A high level of AMYt is related to lower glucose and insulin responses to OST in Mexican children, regardless of their weight status.