Teneligliptin, a DPP-4 Inhibitor, Decreases Plasma Levels of Inflammatory Chemokines During a Standard Meal Test in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) rapidly inactivates incretin hormones and several chemokines, thus influencing chemokine function. There have recently been several reports that DPP-4 inhibitor therapy is associated with an increased risk of bullous pemphigoid (BP), an autoimmune skin disease. Previous studies have demonstrated an increase of CCL11/Eotaxin, a DPP-4 substrate, in serum and blister fluid from patients with BP. Serum levels of CCL22/macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) and CXCL10/IP-10, other DPP-4 substrates, are also elevated in BP patients. In patients with type 2 diabetes, we investigated the effect of treatment with teneligliptin (a DPP-4 inhibitor) for 24 weeks on plasma levels of CCL11/Eotaxin, CCL22/MDC and CXCL10/IP-10 during a meal test. Ten consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes who showed inadequate glycemic control by metformin and/or sulfonylureas were recruited. A standard meal test was performed at baseline and after 24 weeks of treatment with teneligliptin at 20 mg/day. Blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60 and 120 minutes after ingestion of the meal. In addition to plasma levels of the 3 chemokine, plasma DPP-4 enzyme activity and soluble DPP-4 antigen were measured. Treatment with teneligliptin decreased hemoglobin A1c and reduced fasting plasma DPP-4 activity by 90.1% compared with baseline. Unexpectedly, plasma levels of all 3 chemokines (including CCL11/Eotaxin) were not increased after teneligliptin treatment, and instead were significantly lower at every point during the meal test. Teneligliptin reduced the plasma concentrations of 3 chemokines (DPP-4 substrates) that may be related to the occurrence of DPP4 inhibitor-associated BP (UMIN000012508).