Hypoglycemia Increases Serum Interleukin-6 Levels in Healthy Men and Women
- Sarah Dotson, BA1,
- Roy Freeman, MD2,
- Hannah J. Failing, BA1 and
- Gail K. Adler, MD, PHD1
- 1Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- 2Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Corresponding author: Gail K. Adler, MD, PhD, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: gadler{at}partners.org
Abstract
OBJECTIVE—Inflammation may have a major role in the pathogenesis and prognosis of critical illness. Hyperglycemia increases levels of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and is associated with increased risks of morbidity and mortality. Because hypoglycemia is also associated with adverse outcomes, we tested the hypothesis that hypoglycemia increases IL-6.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Seventeen healthy men and women participated in hypoglycemic and euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp studies (target blood glucose levels 2.7 and 5.0 mmol/l, respectively), separated by 1–3 months. IL-6, ACTH, and cortisol were measured at baseline and at 45, 75, 105, and 135 min after initiation of the insulin infusion.
RESULTS—IL-6, ACTH, and cortisol levels increased significantly (P < 0.0001) during hypoglycemia but not euglycemia. IL-6 increased from mean ± SEM 1.0 ± 0.2 pg/ml at baseline to 2.6 ± 0.2 pg/ml after 135 min of hypoglycemia, whereas IL-6 levels were unchanged during euglycemia.
CONCLUSIONS—Hypoglycemia increases IL-6 levels in healthy individuals.
Footnotes
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Published ahead of print at http://care.diabetesjournals.org on 10 March 2008. DOI: 10.2337/dc07-2243.
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
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- Accepted March 4, 2008.
- Received November 26, 2007.
- DIABETES CARE
