Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) are essentially dependent on visceral fat amount in type 2 diabetic patients.
TNF-alpha is considered as one of the potential determinants of insulin resistance. However several data suggest that TNF-alpha expression itself, could be modulated by the degree of adiposity and/or plasma insulin levels. To clarify the determinants of plasma TNF-alpha levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus, we studied the impact of intensive insulin treatment on plasma TNF-alpha levels in 16 type 2 diabetic subjects with failure to oral antidiabetic medication (HbA1c: 10.8 +/- 1.2 %). Furthermore, we analyzed the relationship between plasma TNF-alpha levels and total or regional body fat measurements using anthropometry, bienergetic absorptiometry and computed tomography in a cohort of 33 caucasian obese type 2 diabetic subjects (BMI: 32.2 +/- 4.4 kg/m(2) ). The plasma TNF-alpha level was neither affected by plasma glucose level variations nor intensive insulin treatment despite a 37 % decrease in daily insulin needs at the end of insulin therapy (total duration: 11.5 +/- 2.0 days). The plasma TNF-alpha level was similar in men and women and unrelated to age, fasting glycemia or HbA1c. A relationship was highlighted with BMI (r =0.39, p <0.02), but not with total fat mass. This relationship was only dependent on the intra-abdominal fat mass amount as assessed by the waist-to-hip circumference ratio (r =0.52, p <0.01) and the visceral adipose tissue area (r =0.56, p <0. 01). These results show that plasma TNF-alpha levels are essentially dependent on visceral fat amount, thus suggesting that TNF-alpha could be one of the factors mediating insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk in obese type 2 diabetic patients.
Bertin
E
E
Department of Diabetology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, Hôpital Robert-Debré, 51092 Reims Cedex, France. ebertin@chu-reims.fr
Nguyen
P
P
Guenounou
M
M
Durlach
V
V
Potron
G
G
Leutenegger
M
M
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D014781:Viscera; D044465:White People
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha