Endocrine Abstracts

Background: We sought to document the pattern of distribution of cytokines in patients with type 2 DM and compare cytokine levels between DM subjects with and without the Mets.

Methods: Out of 200 patients with type 2 DM and 100 healthy sex and aged matched controls were studied. Anthropometric indices, lipid parameters and cytokines levels which included interleukin 10 (IL10), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF), interferon γ (IFN) and C reactive protein (CRP) were determined. Continuous variables were compared between subjects with type 2 DM and the controls and also between DM patients with and without the Mets. The test statistics used included t-test, χ², correlation coefficient and multiple regression analyses.

Results: The mean levels of all studied cytokines were significantly higher in the subjects with type 2 DM than in the control subjects. The mean cytokine levels were comparable in the DM subjects with and without the Mets and also comparable in obese DM and non-obese DM patients. Of the Mets defining criteria, waist circumference and TG were found to be significantly associated with only two of the studied cytokines, The correlation coefficient and P values of these findings are as follows: WC versus TNF-α (r=0.16, P=0.001) and TG versus CRP (r=0.15, P=0.03).

Conclusions: Cytokine levels are higher in DM patients than in non DM subjects. However the cytokine levels are not strongly associated with the Mets. Limited correlations were found between each of the cytokines and the parameters of the Mets.