Correlation of Interleukin-18 (IL-18) with the Degree of Nephropathy in Diabetic Type 2 Patients

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the world's most common non-communicable metabolic disease causing important morbidity and mortality due to its microvascular and macrovascular complications. Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most common microvascular problems that people with diabetes can have. Currently, there is a high focus on early detection of nephropathy in order to achieve the highest results for patients. Aim of the study: The present study was mainly aimed to the correlation IL-18, in serum as markers for primary detection of degree DN in a sample of Iraqi patients having type two diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Subjects and Methods: Between August 2023 and January 2024, a grand total of 120 patients with type II DM were investigated. patients selected from the Center of Diabetes and Endocrinology in Al-Sader Teaching Hospital in Najaf City were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into three groups based on their albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR): normoalbuminuria, microalbuminuria, and macroalbuminuria. All participants underwent clinical evaluation along with a range of tests such as blood pressure, weight and height measurements, blood tests fasting blood sugar (FBS), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), serum urea and creatinine in addition to albumin and creatinine in urine. IL-18 were measured by the ELISA technique. Results: The prevalence of microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria was 63.29% and 11.10% respectively in the group of patients in this research. This implies that diabetic nephropathy is present in about 74.39% of the diabetic populations in this research. Conclusions:  Based on the result of this study significantly high concentrations of IL-18 were discovered in diabetic patients with macroalbuminuria and microalbuminuria compared to diabetic groups with normoalbuminurin.  IL-18 was found positively correlating with the age, gender urine creatinine and HbA1c.