Serum interleukin-18 levels are raised in diabetic ketoacidosis in Chinese children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the role of serum interleukin (IL-18) in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DESIGN Case-control study. SUBJECTS Sixty-one children with T1DM including 28 with DKA and 33 without DKA and 30 age - and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited. METHODS Serum IL-18, IL-12, and IFN-gamma levels were measured in all subjects by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Serum IL-18 levels were significantly higher in patients with DKA than those in patients without DKA (759.2 +/- 353.8 pg/mL vs. 634.9 +/- 399.7 pg/mL, P = 0.001) and healthy controls (310.0 +/- 265.3 pg/mL). The serum IL-12 and IFN-gamma levels were not different between patients and controls (277.5 +/- 207 pg/mL vs. 351.4 +/- 223.4 pg/mL, P = 0.45 and 7.02 +/- 7.53 pg/mL vs. 5.59 +/- 5.34 pg/mL, P = 0.21, respectively). CONCLUSION Serum IL-18 levels are increased in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus and could be a predictor of diabetic ketoacidosis.