Abstract:

To explore the association between serum levels of interleukin23(IL23), tumor necrosis factorα(TNFα) and interferonγ(IFNγ) and insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes. MethodsEightyfive subjects were divided into the normal control group（NGT, 20 patients）, the new type 2 diabetic group (DM1, 33 patients) and the old type 2 diabetic group (DM2, 32 patients). Weight, height, waist circle, hip circle, fasting plasma glucose(FPG), fasting insulin, total cholesterol, triglycerides and HbA1c were determined and serum levels of IL23, TNFα and IFNγ were determined. A simple homeostatic model was used to evaluate insulin resistance(HOMAIR). ResultsSerum IL23 level in groups DM1 and DM2 was increased compared with group NGT(P＜0.05) and was higher in the DM1 group than in the DM2 group（P＜0.01）.　TNFα level in groups DM1 and DM2 was increased compared with NGT(P＜0.05), but there was no significant difference between group DM1 and DM2, also there was no significant difference among the DM1, DM2 and NGT groups in IFNγ level. IL23 level strongly correlated with HOMAIR（r=0.412,　P=0.001）and TNFα（r=0.458，P=0.000）, but did  not correlate with IFNγ（P＞0.05）. TNFα（r=0.410,　P=0.001）and IFNγ(r=0.739, P=0.001）strongly related to HOMAIR. ConclusionSerum IL23 and TNFα levels were significantly increased in type 2 diabetes mellitus and were strongly correlated with HOMAIR. IFNγ level was not significantly different between groups DM and NGT, indicating that IL23 and TNFα were important mediators of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus, producing a marked effect without adjusting IFNγ.

Key words: Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Interleukin23; Tumor necr osis factorα Interferonγ Insulin resistance