Heterogeneity of Altered Cytokine Levels Across the Clinical Spectrum of Diabetes in China

OBJECTIVE To determine the relationship between selected cytokines and diabetes in Chinese subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Adult patients with recent-onset type 1 diabetes (n=53), latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) (n=250), and type 2 diabetes (n=285) from multiple centers were compared with normal subjects (n=196). We centrally tested serum GAD antibodies (GADAs), interleukin-6 (IL-6), lipocalin 2 (LCN2), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and adiponectin. RESULTS After adjustment for age, sex, and BMI, all diabetes types had increased IL-6 and LCN2 (P<0.01), and all four cytokines were increased in LADA (P<0.01). In type 1 diabetes, adiponectin but not hs-CRP was increased (P<0.01), whereas in type 2 diabetes, hs-CRP but not adiponectin was increased (P<0.01). Adiponectin was correlated positively with GADA titer and negatively with hs-CRP (P<0.01 for both). CONCLUSIONS In China, inflammatory markers are increased in all three major types of diabetes, but probably for different reasons, even in autoimmune diabetes.