Secretion level of some endogenous antimicrobial peptides and certain cytokines in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Aim. To assess plasma levels of antimicrobial peptides (defensin and endotoxin) and some cytokines (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor α and transforming growth factor β) in type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods. Blood samples of 87 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were examined. All patients were assigned to three groups depending on blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels: compensation - 36 subjects, sub-compensation - 34 subjects, decompensation - 17 patients. Plasma levels of endogenous peptides - defensin (HNP) and endotoxin - were measured. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test was used to measure the levels of cytokines («Bender Medsystems» kits, Austria) and antimicrobial peptides (set «Hycult Biotech»).Results. In the first group (diabetes mellitus type 2, compensation), defensin level was 120.0±0.9 ng/ml, which is 17.6% higher than in the control group. The second group (sub-compensation) showed a 4-fold increase in defensin level compared to the control, the third group (decompensation), defensin level was 1443.1%, or 14.4-fold compared to the control. Endotoxin level was 1.18±0.05 ng/ml in the first group, 1.57±0.14 ng/ml in the second group, and 18.2±0.09 ng/ml in the third group compared to 0.33±0.12 ng/ml in the control group. Patients with decompensated and sub-compensated diabetes showed statistically significant increase in plasma levels of interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor α and transforming growth factor β compared to the controls.Conclusion. There was an interrelation revealed between the secretion of antimicrobial peptides and cytokines - interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor α and transforming growth factor β; concentration of antimicrobial peptides and cytokines reflects the stage of development of type 2 diabetes mellitus.