Serum IL-36β levels are associated with Insulin sensitivity in paediatric patients with obesity

Although the orchestrating role of Interleukin-36 cytokines in regulating inflammation at barrier tissue sites, is well established, whether they play a significant role in the settings of metabolic health and disease, has yet to be fully established. Several recent studies have demonstrated that IL-36 cytokine expression is elevated among adult patients with obesity, and can play roles in regulating both insulin sensitivity and driving inflammation. In this report, we have extended these analyses to paediatric patients and identified an association between elevated serum levels of expression of the specific Interleukin-36 subfamily member, IL-36β, among children with obesity displaying insulin sensitivity, compared to children with obesity who are insulin resistant. While these data further indicate a possible protective role for IL-36 in metabolic health, they also differ with previous findings from an adult patient cohort, where elevated levels of the related cytokine, IL-36γ, were found to occur in association with improved metabolic health. While highlighting important differences between paediatric and adult patient cohorts in the context of metabolic disease associated with obesity, these data underscore the need for a deeper mechanistic analysis of the role of IL-36 cytokines in disease.