Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic syndrome that affects a large proportion of the population, if not well controlled; this will lead to serious metabolic problems, including atherosclerosis, predominantly coronary artery disease (CAD).Irisin is a peptide hormone, secreted mainly by the heart and skeletal muscle. It has a role in converting white adipose tissue to brown adipose tissue. It is one of the novel biochemical markers that link diabetes with CAD.Objective : To explore the relationship between serum Irisin level and duration of diabetes, in cases of presence and absence of CAD, As well as the possibility of using it as a marker for the assessment of the severity of the disease. Method: One hundred sixty-one volunteers aged [(40-60 year), body mass index (20-25Kg/m 2 )], with normal blood pressure. They divided into six groups, that distributed as [(I a = control (negative catheterization without DM), I b = control (apparently healthy), II a = DM (with negative catheterization) II b = DM (diagnosed by history and clinical examination), III a = CAD (without DM, positive catheterization), III b = CAD + DM (positive catheterization)]. The diabetic groups with and without CAD had been divided depending on the duration of the diabetic onset into three periods (<5, 5-10, and > 10 years). The parameters that measured were FPG, HbA1c and fasting serum (Irisin, lipid profile).
Results:The present findings showed the Means (± SD) value of Irisin levels was a significant decrease in (II a , II b , III a , III b ) groups as compared with control groups (I a , I b ). In addition, there is an inverse relationship between serum Irisin and the duration of DM in the total DM groups (II a +II b ) and the CAD + DM group (III b ). Moreover, higher statistical decrease in mean serum level of Irisin with duration of DM was found in CAD + DM group as compared with the total DM group. Also, there was a significant decrease in mean serum level of HDL-C for (II a , II b , III a , III b ) groups than in (I a , I b ) groups. Besides, there was a significant decrease in the mean of serum HDL level in CAD groups (III a , III b ) than in DM groups (II a , II b ). While the means of FPG level, HbA1c, serum cholesterol level, were significantly elevated in groups (II a , II b , III b ) as compared with (I a , I b ) groups. Also, there was a significant increase in the mean serum levels of triglyceride, VLDL-C and LDL-C for (II a , II b , III a , III b ) groups than in the control groups.
Conclusion:Irisin was lower among patients with long-standing diabetes (with or without CAD) as compared to those with short duration of T2DM that can be included as a marker for assessment the severity of diabetes and prediction of CAD.