(PCSK9) Inhibitors and Incident Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
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Diabetes Care 1 Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/ Luiz Sergio´ F. de Carvalho,1 Alessandra M. Campos,1,2 and Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) Inhibitors Andrei C. Sposito1 and Incident Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis With Over 96,000 Patient-Years https://doi.org/10.2337/dc17-1464 OBJECTIVE Like mutations with loss of function in the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) gene, inhibitors of PCSK9 (PCSK9i) may potentially favor the manifes- tation of diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A meta-analysis of phase 2/3 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) assessed PCSK9i versus placebo in primary hypercholesterolemia setting. Statins and ezetimibe were used in 98.4% of these studies and balanced between PCSK9i and placebo. We calculated relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs using random- and fixed-effect models. RESULTS NOVEL COMMUNICATIONS IN DIABETES We included 68,123 participants (20 RCTs) with median follow-up of 78 weeks. PCSK9i increased fasting blood glucose (RR 1.88 [95% CI 0.91–2.68] mg/dL; I2 =0%; 2 P < 0.001) and HbA1c (0.032% [0.011–0.050]; I = 15.5%; P < 0.001) when compared with placebo. This effect was not sufficient to increase incidence of diabetes (1.04 [0.96–1.13]; I2 =0%;P = 0.427). Exploratory meta-regression analyses indicated an P association between the increased risk of diabetes and the potency ( =0.029)and 1 P Cardiology Department, State University of duration ( = 0.026) of PCSK9i treatment. Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil 2Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, Faculty CONCLUSIONS of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Bras´ılia, At short-term, PCSK9i therapy favors a small but significant increase in plasma DF, Brazil glycemia and HbA1c. Corresponding author: Andrei C. Sposito, andreisposito@gmail.com. Received 19 July 2017 and accepted 26 October Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a circulating protein that binds 2017. to the LDL receptor (LDLR), directing it to lysosome degradation pathways (1). Anti- This article contains Supplementary Data online PCSK9 monoclonal antibody (MAb) therapy reduces LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) by 50–60% at http://care.diabetesjournals.org/lookup/ in several clinical settings and over the maximal dose of statins plus ezetimibe, with a suppl/doi:10.2337/dc17-1464/-/DC1. satisfactory safety profile (2). © 2017 by the American Diabetes Association. Meanwhile, both Mendelian randomization and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not suggest an inverse association between plasma PCSK9 availability and the incidence for profit, and the work is not altered. More infor- of type 2 diabetes (3). Gain-of-function mutation on the LDLR gene impairs insulin mation is available at http://www.diabetesjournals secretion capacity by pancreatic b-cells (4). By inference, it is plausible that the .org/content/license. Diabetes Care Publish Ahead of Print, published online November 27, 2017 2 PCSK9i Significantly Increase Blood Glucose Diabetes Care improvement in LDLR turnover and function- diagram can be found in Supplementary (1.50 years). When limiting the analysis to ality after PCSK9 MAb underlies a decline Fig. 1A and our network profile in Supple- studieswithfollow-upof$48 weeks(Sup- in b-cell function favoring type 2 diabe- mentary Fig. 1B. plementary Fig. 4C), there was no signifi- tes manifestation. Hence, we conducted a For our coprimary outcome meta-analysis, cant increase in the risk of diabetes. As systematic review and meta-analysis of we included 20 RCTs (5–19) with 68,123 shown in Supplementary Fig. 2C and D RCTs with PCSK9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) in or- patients. Baseline study characteristics can and Supplementary Table 4, there was der to explore the existence and magni- be found in Supplementary Table 1A. no significant publication bias in funnel plots tude of this metabolic interaction. Baseline patient characteristics can be and no small study bias by the Egger test. found in Supplementary Tables 2 and 3. Across anti-PCSK9 MAbsdalirocumab, d RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS evolocumab, and bococizumab no differ- PCSK9i and Glycemic Levels ence was found to the propensity of favor- Cochrane guidelines and Preferred Report- The changes in both fasting blood glucose ing incident or worsening type 2 diabetes, ing Items for Systematic Reviews and (FBG) and HbA from baseline to follow- as shown in Supplementary Fig. 3A and Meta-Analyses statements were used to 1c up were compared in patients randomized B. Exploratory meta-regression analyses in- conduct the meta-analysis and report our to PCSK9i or placebo. Only trials with back- dicated the association between the mag- findings. A detailed description of all pro- ground statin were included in this analy- nitude and duration of LDL-C lowering cedures is included in the Supplementary sis, because no trials with restricted statin and the risk of worsening diabetes or Data (from section Data Source and use or open-label statins reported glyce- new onset (Supplementary Fig. 5). Search to Included and Excluded stud- mic parameters. Patients treated with ies). Briefly, MEDLINE (PubMed), Co- PCSK9i had an absolute increase (weighted chrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov mean difference) of 1.88 mg/dL (95% CI CONCLUSIONS databases were searched for original ar- 0.91–2.68), which was significantly dif- Consistently with observational and mech- ticles from inception to 19 March 2017 to ferent from placebo (Fig. 1A) (standard- anistic data, this meta-analysis reveals identify all RCTs using PCSK9i therapy. ized mean difference 0.166% [95% CI the existence of a small albeit significant Original trials were eligible for the present 0.143–0.188; I2 =0%;P , 0.001). Regard- increase in plasma levels of glucose and meta-analysis if they met the following ing HbA levels, compared with baseline, HbA after a short-term (1.5-year) treat- criteria: 1) phase 2 or 3 RCT; 2)partici- 1c 1c patients treated with PCSK9i had a weighted ment with PCSK9i; this effect was propor- pants with familial or nonfamilial hyper- mean difference of 0.032% (0.011–0.050) tional to the decrease in plasma LDL-C. In cholesterolemia; 3) participants in the (Fig. 1B) (standardized mean differ- this cohort of patients and under such a treatment group received PCSK9i versus ence 0.096% [0.074–0.119]; I2 =15.5%; short period of time, this increase was not control group, who received placebo with P , 0.001). As shown in Supplementary sufficient to impact on incident diabetes. or without other lipid-lowering therapy, ir- Fig. 2A and B and Supplementary Table 4, These findings are strengthened by the very respective of balanced use of statin or there was no significant publication bias low heterogeneity among trials in both con- ezetimibe across treatment arms; and 4) in funnel plots and no significant small tinuous and dichotomous end points and treatment duration $12 weeks. Two in- study bias according to the Egger tests. In the scrutiny of robust sensitivity analysis. vestigators independently abstracted data addition, even after excluding the results In line with our findings, a meta-analysis by using prespecified forms and indepen- of the SPIRE-1 and SPIRE-2 trials, HbA including 91,140 patients followed during dently appraised the accuracy of the ab- 1c and FBG significantly increased with ;4 years found a 9% increased risk for stractions and resolved any discrepancies PCSK9i in comparison with placebo. Addi- incident diabetes with statins (20). This by consensus after discussion with the third tional sensitivity analyses are available in incidence was amplified by intensive sta- investigator. Baseline data were obtained the Supplementary Data (Additional re- tin therapy and in the individuals with by weighted calculation. To identify poten- sults in the Exploratory meta-regression greater decrease in LDL-C ($50%). Con- tial effects of PCSK9i therapy on incident analyses on PCSK9i effect on incident currently, observational studies using diabetes, we calculated an overall relative type 2 diabetes section). Mendelian randomization approach ob- risk (RR) with both random- and fixed-effect served an inverse association between model meta-analyses. Odds ratios and risk PCSK9i and Incident Diabetes genetically determined cholesterol levels ratios were universally identical during data In most of the included RCTs, the use of and incident diabetes (21). An inverse as- analysis. Further details regarding data anal- statins and ezetimibe was reported to be sociation was also described between the ysis will be found in the Supplementary balanced between PCSK9i and control severity of LDLR dysfunction in patients Data (Data Synthesis and Analysis). For arms, except in the following trials: GAUSS, with familial hypercholesterolemia and the summary treatment effect estimate, a ODYSSEY OPTIONS I, ODYSSEY COMBO II, propensity to develop diabetes (3). In par- two-tailed P value ,0.05 was considered and ODYSSEY MONO (1.6% of the total allel, in vitro and in vivo models indicate statistically significant. We analyzed data sample size). LDLR and intracellular cholesterol content with Stata 13. As seen in Supplementary Fig. 4A and as key regulators of pancreatic b-cell ho- B, PCSK9i did not significantly increase the meostasis (4). Altogether, our findings and RESULTS incidence of diabetes (RR 1.045 [95% these prior studies support the concept of Using MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library CI 0.954–1.135]; I2 = 0%; P = 0.345) or an inverse and dose-dependent effect of databases, and ClinicalTrials.gov, we iden- the compound end point of incident or wors- LDL-C levels on plasma glucose levels. tified 133 citations using the previously ening diabetes (RR 1.035 [95% CI 0.949– As seen with statins, heterogeneity of defined search terms. Our search flow 1.128]; I2 =0%;P = 0.429) after 78 weeks this lipid-lowering effect on glucose care.diabetesjournals.org de Carvalho, Campos, and Sposito 3 Figure 1—Meta-analysis of studies assessing the effect of PCSK9i vs.