Abstract

Objective: To examine the relationship between plasma IGF-1 versus IL-6 levels in Caucasian nondiabetic subjects, and evaluated their association with cardio-metabolic risk factors characterizing MetS.

Research Design and Methods: The study group consisted of 186 Caucasians non diabetic subjects, that underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and an euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp,

Results: After adjusting for gender and age, both IGF-1 and IL-6 were correlated with insulin resistance and individual components of MetS, but in opposite direction. In a logistic regression model adjusted for age and gender, higher IL-6 and lower IGF-1 levels confer increased risk of having MetS and its two underlying pathophysiological abnormalities, i.e. visceral obesity and insulin resistance.

Conclusions: The present results raise the possibility that lowered protection against inflammation, i.e. lower IGF-1 levels, may have a role in the development of MetS and its features resulting in an unbalance between pro-inflammatory versus anti-inflammatory proteins.