Triglyceride-glucose index levels in patients with Klinefelter syndrome and its relationship with endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance: a cross-sectional observational study.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, which is a simple surrogate marker of insulin resistance that is associated with various cardiometabolic diseases, in patients with Klinefelter syndrome (KS).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A total of 30 patients with KS (mean age: 21.53 ± 1.66 years) and 32 healthy controls (mean age: 22.07 ± 1.01 years) were included in the study. The clinical and laboratory parameters, TyG index, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) level, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) score, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level were measured in patients with KS and healthy subjects.

RESULTS

Patients with KS had higher HOMA-IR score (p = 0.043), ADMA levels (p < 0.001), and TyG index (p = 0.031) and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (p < 0.001) than healthy subjects. TyG index was positively correlated with plasma ADMA (r = 0.48, p < 0.001) and HOMA-IR (r = 0.36, p = 0.011). Multivariate analyses showed that total testosterone level (β = -0.44, p = 0.001) and TyG index (β = 0.29, p = 0.045) were independent determinants of plasma ADMA levels.

CONCLUSION

Patients with KS had higher TyG indices than healthy subjects. Moreover, TyG index was independently associated with endothelial dysfunction in patients. TyG index may be a practical and useful measure to show the increased endothelial dysfunction in patients with KS.