Acute-phase serum proteins and adipocytokines in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Relationships with body composition and blood glucose fluctuations

Abstract

To estimate the relationships between the serum concentrations of acute-phase proteins (APPs) and adipocytokines, body composition (BC), and blood glucose (BG) fluctuations in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A total of 165 women with T2DM and 22 with a normal body mass index (BMI) at the age of 40 to 70 years were examined. The concentrations of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and acid α1-glycoprotein (α1-AGP) were determined by ELISA. The levels of interleukins 6, 8, and 18 (IL-6, IL-8, IL-18), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) were measured by a multiplex analysis. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to estimate BC parameters. BG fluctuations were estimated via continuous glucose monitoring. The levels of hs-CRP, α1-AGP, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, TNF-α, and PAI-1 were significantly higher in the obese women with T2DM than those in the control group. In the diabetic normal weight women, only hs-CRP, α1-AGP, and IL-8 concentrations exceeded those in the controls. The level of hs-CRP (other than α1-AGP) correlated positively with BMI, the mass of adipose tissue, body trunk (android), and gynoid fats. A multivariate regression analysis showed that adipose tissue mass and trunk fat proportion were independent predictors of hs-CRP levels. The concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, PAI-1, and TNF-α correlated positively with waist-to-hip ratio, but demonstrated no associations with BMI and BC. Only the serum α1-AGP level showed a positive association with mean BG and its variability parameters. In the women with T2DM, the serum concentrations of APPs and adipocytokines correlate differently with the mass of adipose tissue, its distribution, and BG fluctuations. The findings indicate the multifactorial genesis of chronic inflammation in these patients.