Serum interleukin-10 and interleukin-6 levels in obese women with metabolic syndrome

ABSTRACT

Obesity, especially visceral obesity, may play a role in the pathophysiology of the metabolic syndrome, and is clearly linked to insulin resistance and increased risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. The metabolic syndrome is characterized by the occurrence of visceral obesity, dyslipidemia [especially high levels of triglycerides and low levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol], hyperglycemia and hypertension. Although circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines as interleukin-6 [IL-6] and tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha] as well as other markers of inflammation as C-reactive protein [CRP] have been shown to be elevated in obesity, nothing is known about the role of anti-inflammatory cytokines. So, this study was conducted to determine interleukin-10 [IL-10] levels in obese women with or without metabolic syndrome. This study included 3 groups of women, 20 obese women without metabolic syndrome, 20 obese women with metabolic syndrome and 15 normal lean women as a control group. The study showed that CRP levels were significantly elevated in obese women with metabolic syndrome compared with those without metabolic syndrome, and also CRP levels were significantly elevated in obese women with or without metabolic syndrome compared with lean women. IL-6 levels were significantly increased in obese women compared with lean subjects but no significant difference was found between obese women with or without metabolic syndrome. IL-10 levels were significantly increased in obese women with or without metabolic syndrome compared with lean women. Moreover, IL-10 levels were significantly lower in obese women with metabolic syndrome compared with obese women without metabolic syndrome