Immunoregulatory and cytokine imbalances in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM)‎

Abstract EN

The present study was planned to determine the role of cytokines in the development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).

Serum levels of cytokines derived from T helper 1 (interleukin-2 and interferon-gamma), T helper 2 (interleukin-10), lymphocytes and macrophages (tumour necrosis factor-alpha) were measured in 30 IDDM children and 15 age and sex matched healthy controls.

The diabetic children were classified into two groups according to disease duration (recently diagnosed IDDM <6 months and long standing IDDM patients >J8 months).

Our study revealed that recently diagnosed IDDM patients had significantly higher levels of IL-2, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and TNF-a than patients with long standing IDDM.

Compared with control subjects, IDDM patients had higher levels of all cytokines (<0.001).

Also it was found that there was no correlation between different cytokines and age as well as the level °f glycated hemoglobin (HbAlc) among IDDM patients, but as regard duration °.f the disease, there was significant negative correlation with the levels of IFN-gamma, IL-2 and TNF-a but no significant difference with IL-10.

These results support the notion that T helper 1 lymphocytes may play a role in the development of IDDM.

This is associated with the release of macrophage -derived cytokines, which is also a feature of the prediabetic period.