Comparision of interleukin-6 and malondialdehyde levels in diabetic patients in Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to compare the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in healthy controls and diabetic patients without coronary heart disease (CHD). Fasting serum IL-6 and MDA were determined in 30 healthy controls and 52 (20 Type 1 and 32 Type 2) diabetic patients without clinical evidence of CHD. MDA was calculated as oxidative stress. The IL-6 concentration was used to evaluate the cytokine function. Results showed that the serum IL-6 and MDA concentrations are significantly higher in Type 2 diabetic patients (p<0.05). In conclusion, we demonstrated that Type 2 diabetic patients are more influenced by oxidative stress than Type 1 diabetic patients and healthy controls, because of the action of cytokine.