The Level and Role of Interleukin-17 in Patients of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with and without Complications

Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is the most prevalent metabolic disorder in the world. Recent evidence however suggests that T2DM is not only a disease of metabolism, but also an inflammatory disorder and that inflammation also plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Diabetic complications. Our aim was to study the level of interleukin-17 (IL 17) in Indian populations with T2DM as an inflammatory marker and analyze its role in different diabetic complications. Methods: A total of consecutive 67 patients of T2DM were evaluated for clinical parameters fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2hr-post-prandial blood glucose (PPBG), lipid profile, HbA1c and plasma IL 17. They were divided into three groups—Patients of T2DM without any complications (group A; n = 24), T2DM with acute complications (group B; n = 20), T2DM with chronic complications (group C; n = 23) and compared with 23 healthy controls (group D). Results: Diabetic patients had a higher level of IL 17 as compared to the healthy controls. The level of IL 17 in complicated diabetics was higher than the patients with T2DM without complications. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed positive correlation of IL 17 with Diabetic Retinopathy and Diabetic Neuropathy. IL 17 also showed a positive Pearsons correlation with systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), serum triglycerides (TG), serum total cholesterol (TC), very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), low density lipoproteins (LDL), HbA1c and a negative correlation with HDL. Conclusion: Indian subjects with T2DM with or without complications had higher values of IL 17 as compared to healthy controls. Also diabetic neuropathy and diabetic retinopathy were positively correlated to levels of IL 17. Further levels of IL 17 were positively correlated to hypertension and dyslipidemia indicating a prevalent inflammatory state in our population of T2DM with and without complications.