Ethnic Disparity of Pancreatic Triglyceride Levels: Implications for Type 2 Diabetes Development

Lidia S. Szczepaniak¹, Ruchi Mathur¹, Edward Szczepaniak¹, Nicole Tyer¹, Michael D. Nelson¹, Ida Chen¹, Ronald G. Victor¹, Ildiko Lingvay²

The exact role of pancreatic fat in the development of human impaired glucose tolerance remains unclear. Basic research using rodent models of type 2 diabetes has identified pancreatic steatosis and lipotoxicity as a leading cause of beta cell dysfunction. We sought to translate these mechanistic studies into the clinical population. Our data suggest that pancreatic steatosis may identify a subset of asymptomatic individuals who are at high risk for development of type 2 diabetes. 1H-MRS and measurement of pancreatic TG content may constitute a new therapeutic target. Our data also highlight a potential need for ethnically appropriate preclinical biomarkers.