IL-33 is negatively associated with the BMI and confers a protective lipid/metabolic profile in non-diabetic but not diabetic subjects.

Amal Hasan,Abdullah Bennakhi,Rasheed Ahmad,Fahad Al-Ghimlas,Asma Al-Hubail,Mohammed Dehbi,Monira Al-Arouj,Said Dermime,Kazem Behbehani,Samia Warsame

doi:10.1186/1471-2172-15-19

Amal Hasan, Abdullah Bennakhi + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2172-15-19

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Abstract

ObjectiveRecent studies have demonstrated a protective role for IL-33 against obesity-associated inflammation, atherosclerosis and metabolic abnormalities. IL-33 promotes the production of T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokines, polarizes macrophages towards a protective alternatively activated phenotype, reduces lipid storage and decreases the expression of genes associated with lipid metabolism and adipogenesis. Our objective was to determine the level of serum IL-33 in non-diabetic and diabetic subjects, and to correlate these levels with clinical (BMI and body weight) and metabolic (serum lipids and HbA1c) parameters.MethodsThe level of IL-33 was measured in the serum of lean, overweight and obese non-diabetic and diabetic subjects, and then correlated with clinical and metabolic parameters.ResultsNon-lean subjects had significantly (P = 0.01) lower levels of IL-33 compared to lean controls. IL-33 was negatively correlated with the BMI and body weight in lean and overweight, but not obese (non-diabetic and diabetic), subjects. IL-33 is associated with protective lipid profiles, and is negatively correlated with HbA1c, in non-diabetic (lean, overweight and obese) but not diabetic subjects.ConclusionsOur data support previous findings showing a protective role for IL-33 against adiposity and atherosclerosis, and further suggest that reduced levels of IL-33 may put certain individuals at increased risk of developing atherosclerosis and insulin resistance. Therefore, IL-33 may serve as a novel marker to predict those who may be at increased risk of developing atherosclerosis.

Highlights

Obesity, characterized by an increase in adipose tissue mass, is a major risk factor for the development of a wide array of metabolic disorders including insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus [1]
We show that IL-33 is associated with protective lipid profiles, and is negatively correlated with HbA1c, in non-diabetic but not diabetic subjects
The level of serum IL-33 was tested in a total number of 140 subjects; as many as 94 subjects (67%) had IL-33 levels below the detection limit of the kit (< 23.44 pg/ml), and due to specificity/sensitivity concerns were excluded from the analyses

Summary

Introduction

Obesity, characterized by an increase in adipose tissue mass, is a major risk factor for the development of a wide array of metabolic disorders including insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus [1]. Obesity is associated with a state of chronic low-grade inflammation, which plays a role in the development of both atherosclerosis [7] and diabetes [8]. In this regard, T cells and macrophages accumulate in the adipose tissue and secrete various proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines including tumour necrosis factoralpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6, interleukin-8, C-reactive protein, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, resistin, angiotensinogen and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 [9,10]. IL-33 has been shown to be proinflammatory in certain conditions such as allergy [19] and autoimmunity [20] and to be protective in others such as obesity [18], atherosclerosis [21] and cardiac fibrosis [22]

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