The Linkage Between Inflammation and the Progression of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a chronic metabolic disease associated with macro and microvascular complications. Premature death, a worse quality of life, and a persistent need for medical care are the results of this disease. A key component of its pathophysiology is inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate the association between specific inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, IL-18, TNF-α, miR-155, and miR-146a) and the progression of T2D in Ecuadorian patients. Following the inclusion criteria, 198 patients were selected for a biomarker study out of the initial 598 participants. Patients were classified into four groups, based on disease stage in non-diabetic controls (NDC), controlled diabetic patients (CT2D), uncontrolled diabetic patients (NC-T2D), and diabetic patients with kidney disease (DKD). The results showed that IL8, IL-6, Leptin, and Adiponectin in-creased according to disease stage. We also observed a downregulation of miRNA-146a in T2D (NDC = 1, C-T2D = 0.44, NC-T2D = 0.26, DKD = 0.40). Using binary logistic regression, we determined the association between T2DM and the inflammatory biomarkers, considering their cut-off points IL-8 (OR = 6.733), IL-6 (OR = 4.436), Leptin (OR = 13.765), and miR-146a (OR = 4.062). The association between DKD and adiponectin was also deter-mined (OR = 4.154). This study highlights a clear association between the stage of Type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic inflammation, reflected in altered levels of specific inflammatory biomarkers.