Serum interleukin-18 levels are raised in diabetic ketoacidosis in Chinese children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of serum interleukin (IL-18) in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DESIGN: Case-control study. SUBJECTS: Sixty-one children with T1DM including 28 with DKA and 33 without DKA and 30 age - and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited. METHODS: Serum IL-18, IL-12, and IFN-gamma levels were measured in all subjects by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Serum IL-18 levels were significantly higher in patients with DKA than those in patients without DKA (759.2 +/- 353.8 pg/mL vs. 634.9 +/- 399.7 pg/mL, P = 0.001) and healthy controls (310.0 +/- 265.3 pg/mL). The serum IL-12 and IFN-gamma levels were not different between patients and controls (277.5 +/- 207 pg/mL vs. 351.4 +/- 223.4 pg/mL, P = 0.45 and 7.02 +/- 7.53 pg/mL vs. 5.59 +/- 5.34 pg/mL, P = 0.21, respectively). CONCLUSION: Serum IL-18 levels are increased in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus and could be a predictor of diabetic ketoacidosis.

Congenital generalized lipodystrophy in a 4 year old Chinese girl.

Congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by near complete absence of adipose tissue since birth and insulin resistance. The diagnosis is made on the basis of lack of body fat, muscular hypertrophy, acanthosis nigricans, hirsutism, hepatomegaly with fatty liver, hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia with insulin resistance. We describe a 4-year-old Chinese girl with the clinical features of CGL.