Relationship between serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha and insulin resistance in obese men with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
We analyzed serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) for their role in insulin resistance in 12 obese men with untreated Type 2 diabetes mellitus and in 6 age-and BMI-matched obese controls. Insulin resistance was expressed using the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-R). Six of the patients were insulin-resistant (HOMA-R>5.0), while six were not (HOMA-R</=3.0). Serum levels of TNF-alpha were higher in patients with insulin resistance (4.19+/-0.96 pg/ml) than in patients without insulin resistance (2.52+/-1.64 pg/ml) and in controls (2.03+/-1.21 pg/ml). Fasting serum concentrations of insulin and HOMA-R were higher in patients with insulin resistance (16.2+/-5.0 and 6.30+/-1.0 IU/ml, respectively) than in patients without insulin resistance (7.3+/-2.2 and 2.4+/-0.6 IU/ml) and in controls (8.0+/-2.9 and 1.8+/-0.6 IU/ml). These data suggest that high levels of serum TNF-alpha in patients with insulin resistance are related to high levels of fasting insulin and HOMA-R. We conclude that TNF-alpha may be involved in the pathogenesis of Type 2 diabetes mellitus in obese men. The importance of this investigation is that the subjects recruited in the study are BMI matched, because human obesity is associated with an increased TNF-alpha mRNA expression in adipose tissue.
Mishima
Y
Y
Division of Internal Medicine, National Minami Okayama Hospital, 4066, Hayashima-cho, Tsukubo-gun, Okayama 701-0304, Japan. misimay@sokayama.hosp.go.jp
Kuyama
A
A
Tada
A
A
Takahashi
K
K
Ishioka
T
T
Kibata
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha