Correlation of Serum Interleukin-7 with Markers of Insulin Resistance in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: a Potential Novel Diagnostic Biomarker.

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complicated metabolic condition categorized by insulin resistance, decreased insulin secretion or both. The current study emphasizes the involvement of cytokines particularly interleukin-7 (IL-7), in the pathophysiology of T2DM, which is implicated in immune control and metabolic processes. This research aims to examine the relationship among IL-7 serum concentrations and insulin resistance markers in T2DM individuals, with the goal of determining IL-7's potential as a novel diagnostic marker for this condition.

METHODS

An observational case control study was conducted in Taif city, involving 60 adult diabetic patients with insulin resistance and 60 normal subjects matched by age and gender. Demographic and chemical parameters were analyzed and compared across the studied groups. Statistical analyses involved unpaired Student's t-test, Chi-square test, correlation coefficient and Roc curve analysis.

RESULTS

Diabetic patients exhibited significantly higher serum IL-7, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c%, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), along with a significant reduction in high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) levels. Additionally, significant positive correlations were observed between IL-7 and fasting blood glucose, HbA1c%, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, Body Mass Index (BMI), HOMA-IR, and the Tri-glyceride Glucose Index (TyG). Finally, ROC curve analysis revealed significant diagnostic discrimination of serum IL-7 and HOMA- IR between diabetic patients and controls, with an AUC of 0.831 and 0.925, respectively. The combined ROC curve analysis for IL-7 and HOMA-IR demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance, with an AUC of 0.955.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals the substantial serum IL-7 increase in diabetic patients, as well as its favorable association with major insulin resistance measures such as fasting glucose, lipid profile, BMI, HOMA-IR, HbA1c% and TyG index. The findings suggest IL-7's potential as a novel biomarker for detecting insulin resistance in diabetic patients. Importantly, the combined ROC analysis of IL-7 and HOMA-IR yielded superior diagnostic performance compared to either marker alone, highlighting the potential clinical benefit of using both markers together for more accurate risk stratification.