Research

Hormonal

Elevated plasma DPP-4 activity is positively correlated with obesity (BMI) and insulin resistance, potentially acting as a local mediator linking adipose tissue inflammation and hepatic insulin resistance to the pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes.

Higher levels of the enzyme DPP-4 are found in people with obesity and insulin resistance. This enzyme may contribute to inflammation in fat and liver tissue, worsening insulin resistance. While DPP-4 inhibitors treat diabetes by preserving incretins, the underlying high DPP-4 levels in obesity might also play a role in metabolic dysfunction, though this mechanism is still being fully understood.

ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
DPP-4 has been proposed to play a role in linking obesity and the pathogenesis of T2DM by functioning as a local mediator of inflammation and insulin resistance in adipose and hepatic tissue.
Carolyn F. Deacon · Frontiers in Endocrinology · 2019

Why this rating

Based on observational studies, animal models, and in vitro data; human causal mechanisms are not fully clarified.

Source

Physiology and Pharmacology of DPP-4 in Glucose Homeostasis and the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

Carolyn F. Deacon · Frontiers in Endocrinology · 2019

DOI 10.3389/fendo.2019.00080

narrative_reviewCited 416×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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