Investigation of the association between MSR1 serum levels and type 2 diabetes: a preliminary study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by peripheral insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. It is prevalent worldwide including in Turkey and is a major contributor to metabolic and inflammatory complications. Macrophage Scavenger Receptor 1 (MSR1), a class A scavenger receptor (SR-A1), is primarily expressed in macrophages and plays a significant role in the immune response. MSR1 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases, yet its precise role in glucose metabolism remains unclear, despite reports suggesting a correlation between its transcript levels and insulin sensitivity.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the association between serum MSR1 levels and insulin resistance in patients with T2DM and to investigate its potential as a therapeutic target.

Methods: The study included 40 patients with T2DM and 40 healthy volunteers. Blood samples were collected and sera were separated by centrifugation and stored at -80 °C. MSR1 serum levels were measured using a commercial ELISA kit (NE010338901) and absorbance was read at 450 nm. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 21.

Results: MSR1 levels were higher in the diabetic group than in controls; however, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.897).

Conclusions: The findings suggest a potential association between MSR1 and T2DM. Although the difference was not statistically significant, the observed trend supports the need for further studies with larger sample sizes to clarify the potential role and clinical relevance of MSR1 as a biomarker or therapeutic target.