Cytokines in the Progression of Pancreaticβ-Cell Dysfunction

The dysfunction of pancreatic β -cell and the reduction in β -cell mass are the decisive events in the progression of type 2 diabetes. There is increasing evidence that cytokines play important roles in the procedure of β -cell failure. Cytokines, such as IL-1 β , IFN- γ , TNF- α , leptin, resistin, adiponectin, and visfatin, have been shown to diversely regulate pancreatic β -cell function. Recently, islet-derived cytokine PANcreatic DERived factor (PANDER or FAM3B) has also been demonstrated to be a regulator of islet β -cell function. The change in cytokine profile in islet and plasma is associated with pancreatic β -cell dysfunction and apoptosis. In this paper, we summarize and discuss the recent studies on the effects of certain important cytokines on pancreatic β -cell function. The imbalance in deleterious and protective cytokines plays pivotal roles in the development and progression of pancreatic β -cell dysfunction under insulin-resistant conditions.