Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36597795›Full record

ArticleDiabetes, obesity & metabolism2023

Liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 is associated with improved pancreatic insulin secretion in adults with overweight and obesity.

Romana Stark, Jack Feehan, Aya Mousa, Zane B Andrews, Barbora de Courten

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. LEAP2 as a therapeutic target in obesity and cardiometabolic disorders.Reviews in endocrine & metabolic disorders · 2026
    Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. LEAP2 in Physiology-A Narrative Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Romana StarkSchool of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4264-0060
Jack FeehanInstitute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Footscray, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-9627-1299
Aya MousaMonash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7356-4523
Zane B AndrewsSchool of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-9097-7944
Barbora de CourtenMonash Centre for Health Research and Implementation (MCHRI), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-8760-2511
Monash University · AUDiscovery Institute · USMonash Health · AUVictoria University · AU

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsTo examine association of liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP2), an endogenous ghrelin antagonist with anorexiant effects, to key cardiometabolic risk factors in people with overweight and obesity.

methodsIn this cross-sectional study, we sought to identify associations between LEAP2 levels and cardiometabolic risk factors, including body composition (dual X-ray absorptiometry), insulin and glucose metabolism (oral and intravenous glucose tolerance tests and hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamps), plasma lipids and inflammation markers (ELISA and multiplex assays).

resultsIn 65 participants with overweight or obesity (63.1% male, mean age 31.3 ± 8.5 years), LEAP2 levels were associated with total body fat, but not with body mass index or waist-hip ratio in both univariable and age- and sex-adjusted models (P < 0.05). Higher LEAP2 level was also positively associated with higher insulin secretion in univariable (P = 0.047) and multivariable models adjusted for age, sex and body fat (P = 0.03), but not with fasting glucose levels (P ≥ 0.05). Higher LEAP2 levels were associated insulin resistance (P = 0.07) after adjustment for age and sex, but the association disappeared after an additional adjustment for body fat (P = 0.2). There was an inverse association between LEAP2 levels and nuclear factor kappa-B (NFκB) activity in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells in age-, sex- and body fat-adjusted models (P = 0.04). There were no associations with cardiovascular risk factors (lipids, blood pressure) or other inflammation markers.

conclusionsThese results provide important insights into the association between LEAP2 and cardiometabolic health in a high-risk population of individuals with overweight and obesity. This is a first report of an association between LEAP2 and insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and NFκB activity. LEAP2 may represent an important potential therapeutic target to promote insulin secretion in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Indexed as

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2Insulin ResistanceObesityOverweightAdultAntimicrobial Cationic PeptidesBlood ProteinsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHepcidinsHumansInflammationInsulinInsulin SecretionLeukocytes, MononuclearLipidsAntimicrobial Cationic PeptidesBlood ProteinsHepcidinsInsulinLipidsliver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2, humandiabetesinflammationinsulin resistanceinsulin secretionmetabolic syndromeobesityoverweight

Identifiers

PMID36597795
PMCPMC10947148
OpenAlexW4313488216

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.