Effects of aspirin on serum C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels in patients with type 2 diabetes without cardiovascular disease: a randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial.
OBJECTIVE
Low-grade inflammation plays a pivotal role in atherogenesis in type 2 diabetes. Next to its antithrombotic effects, several lines of evidence demonstrate anti-inflammatory properties of aspirin. We determined the effects of aspirin on inflammation - represented by C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) - in type 2 diabetic subjects without cardiovascular disease and assessed differential effects of aspirin 300 mg compared with 100 mg.


METHODS
A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover trial was performed in 40 type 2 diabetic patients. In two periods of 6 weeks, patients used 100 or 300 mg aspirin and placebo. Plasma CRP and IL-6 levels were measured before and after both periods.


RESULTS
Use of aspirin resulted in a CRP reduction of 1.23 +/- 1.02 mg/l (mean +/- s.e.m.), whereas use of placebo resulted in a mean increase of 0.04 +/- 1.32 mg/l (P = 0.366). Aspirin reduced IL-6 with 0.7 +/- 0.5 pg/ml, whereas use of placebo resulted in a mean increase of 0.2 +/- 0.8 pg/ml (P = 0.302). There were no significant differences in effects on CRP and IL-6 between 100 and 300 mg aspirin.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that a 6-week course of aspirin does not improve low-grade inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes without cardiovascular disease, although a modest effect could not be excluded. No significant differential effects between aspirin 100 and 300 mg were found.
Department of General Internal Medicine/Endocrinology, Vascular Medicine Unit, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands. mhovens@alysis.nl
M M C
MM
Hovens
J D
JD
Snoep
Y
Y
Groeneveld
M
M
Frölich
J T
JT
Tamsma
M V
MV
Huisman
D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015850:Interleukin-6; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D001241:Aspirin