Type 1 diabetes is associated with increased cyclooxygenase- and cytokine-mediated inflammation.
OBJECTIVE
The extent of involvement of cyclooxygenase (COX)-mediated inflammation in type 1 diabetes is unknown, and the association between the COX- and cytokine-mediated inflammatory responses in type 1 diabetes is not fully understood.


METHODS
Plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), 24-h urinary and plasma 15-keto-dihydro-prostaglandin F(2alpha) (a metabolite of prostaglandin F(2alpha) [PGF(2alpha)] and an indicator of COX-mediated inflammation), serum amyloid protein A (SAA), and interleukin (IL)-6 (indicators of inflammation) were measured in 38 subjects with type 1 diabetes and 41 healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects.


RESULTS
The inflammatory indicators (urinary 15-keto-dihydro-PGF(2alpha), P < 0.01; IL-6, P < 0.04) were increased in men with diabetes. CRP and SAA did not show any significant difference between the diabetic and the control subjects. Urinary levels of 15-keto-dihydro-PGF(2alpha) correlated with the degree of glycemic control, HbA(1c) (r = 0.42, P < 0.0005). No correlation was found between the duration of diabetes and the inflammatory biomarkers or metabolic measurements.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that an early low-grade inflammatory process reflected by elevated levels of PGF(2alpha) and IL-6 is involved in type 1 diabetes. Thus, both COX- and cytokine-mediated inflammatory pathways are significantly related to type 1 diabetes.
Basu
Samar
S
Section of Geriatrics and Clinical Nutrition Research, Faculty of Medicine, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 609, SE-751 25 Uppsala, Sweden. samar.basu@pubcare.uu.se
Larsson
Anders
A
Vessby
Johan
J
Vessby
Bengt
B
Berne
Christian
C
D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000453:epidemiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000453:epidemiology; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis
D016207:Cytokines; D008055:Lipids; C026528:15-ketoprostaglandin F2alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015237:Dinoprost