Diminuições dos níveis de ferro e da degradação do grupo heme estão associadas ao processo inflamatório ligado à resistência à insulina em homens hiperglicêmicos

Abstract

Introduction: Changes in glucose homeostasis are associated with changes in iron homeostasis. Objective: To analyze the associations of anthropometric, inflammatory, regulatory, metabolic, and hematologic variables, with indicators of iron status and HbA1c levels in hyperglycemic men, to identify possible links between the glucose homeostasis breakdown and the iron homeostasis breakdown. Methods: A total of 79 men (54 normoglycemic and 25 hyperglycemic) participated in this study. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare groups and Spearman's correlation to verify associations between pairs of variables. Results: The hyperglycemic group showed significantly higher values of HbA1c and the Model of Assessment of Homeostasis in Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), but lower values of iron levels and the Model of Evaluation of Insulin Homeostasis (HOMA-β). The increase in HbA1c was associated with increased insulin resistance and decreased iron and unconjugated bilirubin fraction. Both the decrease in iron and the unconjugated bilirubin fraction and the increase in HOMA-IR were associated with increased C-reactive protein. Conclusion: Changes in the homeostasis of iron - with decreased iron levels - and erythrocytes - with decreased hemoglobin heme group degradation - are associated with the inflammatory process linked to insulin resistance.