With the launch of incretin agents, there will be an increased need for incretin (GIP and GLP‐1) concentration measurements in humans. The Japan Diabetes Society (JDS) and the Japan Association for Diabetes Education and Care (JADEC) have jointly formed the “Committee on Standardized Incretin Measurement” to address the relevant issues and develop recommendations for standardization of the measurement of incretin. At this time, the Committee has the following recommendations to facilitate evaluation and comparison of data that constitute the current “Guideline for Incretin (GIP and GLP‐1) Measurement in Humans”. The Committee will continue to review its recommendations as required and promulgate amendments to the Guideline on JDS and JADEC websites in a timely manner.

Recommendations

• Blood collection tubes containing a DPP‐4 inhibitor must be used in measuring levels of active incretin hormones.
• Blood samples must be stored on ice until separation of plasma, and then the separated plasma samples are stored at –20°C.
• It is essential that plasma samples are extracted prior to measurement of active incretin levels. Extraction can be either ethanol extraction or solid phase extraction.
• Plasma samples are not necessarily extracted in case of measuring levels of total (active plus DPP‐4‐inactivated) incretins hormones.
• Details, such as antibody specificity, recovery rate, and intra‐/inter‐assay coefficient of variation (CV), must be given for each assay performed.

It is important to ensure that all of these recommendations are strictly adhered to when such measurements are being outsourced to testing and inspection agencies or organizations.

JDS/JADEC Committee for Standardized Incretin Measurement
Chairman: Nobuya Inagaki, MD
Members of the Committee: Yutaka Seino, MD; Tokio Sanke, MD; Tsutomu Hirano, MD; Yuichiro Yamada, MD; Daisuke Yabe, MD; and Mitsuru Ohsugi, MD

Update: October 18, 2012