Research

Serum HER-2 concentration is associated with insulin resistance and decreases after weight loss

José Manuel Fernández-Real^1,2 , Javier A Menendez^2,3 , Gema Frühbeck⁴ , José María Moreno-Navarrete^1,2 , Alejandro Vazquez-Martín^2,3 and Wifredo Ricart^1,2

¹  Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, CIBERobn Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición CB06/03/010, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain

²  Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdIBGi), Hospital Dr Josep Trueta, 17007 Girona, Spain

³  Department of Oncology, Catalan Institute of Oncology-Girona (ICO-Girona), 17007 Girona, Spain

⁴  Department of Endocrinology, Clínica Universitaria de Navarra and CIBERObn Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 31008 Pamplona, Spain

author email corresponding author email

Nutrition & Metabolism 2010, 7:14doi:10.1186/1743-7075-7-14

Published:	25 February 2010

Abstract

Background

HER2/neu is a member of the epidermal growth factor receptor family easily detectable in the serum of cancer patients. We aimed to evaluate circulating HER-2 concentrations in association with insulin resistance in healthy and obese subjects.

Methods

Insulin sensitivity (minimal model) and serum HER-2 concentrations were evaluated in a cross sectional study in men (cohort 1, n = 167) and longitudinally after weight loss in obese subjects (cohort 2, n = 30).

Results

Serum HER-2 concentrations were positively associated with BMI and waist circumference (both r = 0.18, p = 0.02), post-load glucose (r = 0.28, p = 0.001) and fasting triglycerides (r = 0.26, p = 0.001); and negatively associated with insulin sensitivity (r = -0.29, p = 0.002, n = 109). Subjects with type 2 diabetes showed significantly increased soluble serum HER-2 concentrations. In different multivariate regression models, fasting triglycerides emerged as the factor that independently contributed to 10-11% of serum HER-2 variance.

Serum HER-2 concentrations correlated significantly with fasting triglycerides and insulin sensitivity index in subjects from cohort 2. Weight loss led to a significant decrease of serum HER-2 concentrations. The change in serum HER-2 concentrations were significantly associated with the change in percent body fat and fasting triglycerides in young (below the median age of the cohort) subjects.

Conclusions

Serum HER-2 concentrations might be implicated in the pathophysiology of insulin resistance and associated comorbidities.