Volume 25 , Issue 2 , December 2023 , Pages 450-459
Przha Fadhil Mohammed 1 ; Kawa Abdulla M. Amin 2
1 Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
2 Department of Medical Science, Respiratory Medicine, and Allergology, Uppsala University and University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
Background: Biomarker investigation is important to detect the presence/severity of
hyperglycemia, implying diabetes/pre-diabetes, or over time, as a risk factor for diabetic
retinopathy, nephropathy, and other vascular complications related to diabetes.
Objectives: To determine the role and level of certain cytokines, FGF-18, and WNT5A
in the serum of diabetic patients. Patients and Methods: A case-control comparative
study was conducted on 50 healthy individuals and 100 diabetic patients. Then; a
validated questionnaire was used to collect the participants’ data. Next, participants’
serum level of IL-17, IL-33, FGF-18, and WNT5A was determined using the ELISA
technique and the blood level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C). Results: A highly
significant difference in the levels of HbA1C and FGF-18 and a significant difference in
levels of IL-17 and IL-33, with no significant difference in WNT-5A level, were seen
between the studied groups. There was no significant difference between the biomarkers
level and each gender, age, BMI, and duration of DM in the patients (p>0.05). A positive
correlation was observed between the number of symptoms in the patients and levels of
IL-17 (p=0.003) and IL-33 (p=0.018). Also, a positive correlation between IL-17 and
IL33 (Rho=0.874, p<0.001), IL-17 and FGF-18 (p=0.023), as well as between IL-33 and
FGF-18 (p=0.041) were seen. Conclusion: It is realized that IL-17, IL33, and FGF-18
expression are directly related to DM, Additionally, a positive correlation between most
biomarkers was seen. The detection of the cytokines’ levels and their relations with
diabetic will affect the diagnosis, knowledge about the disease immunology, and
thereafter effects on the treatments of patients with diabetic depending on our findings.