Correlation of inflammatory markers with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Pakistani patients

ABSTRACT

To study the levels of inflammatory markers in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Pakistani patients and determine their correlation with the disease. This cross sectional study was conducted at Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, and Centre for Research in Experimental and Applied Medicine [CREAM], Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan from June 2011-June 2012. We determined the levels of Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate [ESR], Total Leukocyte Count [TLC], Interleukin 6 [IL-6] and Tumor Necrosis Factor- alpha [TNF- alpha] in 72 patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus [T2DM] and 40 healthy controls. The levels were correlated with age, duration of the disease, Body Mass Index [BMI], lipid profile and insulin resistance. ESR, TLC, IL-6 and TNF- alpha were found to be significantly higher in T2DM patients. There was also statistically significant difference in BMI, fasting blood sugar, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia [except LDL] between diabetic and control group. All inflammatory markers except TNF- alpha were positively correlated with insulin resistance. Only TNF- alpha was found to be correlated to duration of the disease. Both TLC and Serum insulin were positively correlated to BMI. Inflammatory markers were not correlated to dyslipidemia. This is the first study reporting levels of cytokines in Pakistani diabetic patients and healthy controls. There is augmented inflammation in T2DM in Pakistani patients which plays role in higher insulin resistance in these patients. TNF- alpha levels increases with longer duration of the disease. Levels of inflammatory markers are not correlated to BMI, dyslipidemia or increasing age