In a recently published study in Plos One, a research team led by Dr Sara Hansson at AstraZeneca presented data which demonstrate that secretagogin, an intracellular calcium-binding intracellular protein highly enriched in pancreatic islets, may serve as biomarker in the blood for beta cell dysfunction in individuals with type 2 diabetes
Offspring supported this project by performing multiplexed immunofluorescence-based detection of secretagogin selectively within the insulin and glucagon-producing cells
Quantitative analysis of the secretagogin staining showed enhanced levels of the protein in the beta cells in the type 2 diabetes patients (T2D)
Fig. Increased secretagogin expression in beta cells from pancreatic tissue of T2D patients. (a) Secretagogin expression in islet cells of human pancreatic tissue sections were detected by immunohistofluorescence, using anti-secretagogin antibody (showed in red). Sections were counterstained with DAPI in nucleus (pseudo-colored in white). (b) Quantitative analysis of immunohistofluorescence as measured by mean fluorescence intensity of secretagogin staining in all insulin and glucagon expressing cells of human pancreatic tissue sections. Eight T2D individuals and eight control subjects, matched for age, BMI and gender, were used. Horizontal bars indicate group median. Group comparisons were performed using unpaired t-test. (c1, d1, e1, f1, g1, h1) The upper row shows representative pictures of human islets from three control individuals (c1, d1, e1) and three T2D individuals (f1, g1, h1) (selected to reflect the group median staining intensities). Triple immunohistofluorescence staining was performed for secretagogin (showed in red), insulin (showed in green) and glucagon (showed in turquoise). (c2, d2, e2, f2, g2, h2) The middle row shows secretagogin and insulin co-distribution (showed as yellow and orange tints). (c3, d3, e3, f3, g3, h3) The lower row shows secretagogin immunostaining together with DAPI counterstaining (showed in white)
