Changes in IL-6 and IL-37 levels before and after sleeve gastrectomy in obese patients with metabolic syndrome
Tuğba Elgün1, Enver Çıracı2, Ayşe Akgül Işık3, Alper Öztürk41Department of Medical Biology, Biruni University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye2Department of Biochemistry, Biruni University Faculty of Pharmacy, Istanbul, Türkiye
3Medical Laboratory Techniques Program, Biruni University Vocational School of Health Services, Istanbul, Türkiye
4Department of General Surgery, Biruni University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
INTRODUCTION: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized as a cluster of metabolic disorders, with key components including dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation, and hypertension. Interleukins (ILs) are crucial cytokines secreted by the immune system, playing a significant role in inflammation and immune regulation. IL-37, a member of the IL-1 family (IL-1F7), is an anti-inflammatory cytokine. However, research investigating the role of IL-37 in the pathogenesis of MetS remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate plasma IL-6 and IL-37 levels in patients with MetS.
METHODS: A total of 80 participants (33 males, 47 females) were included in the study. Venous blood samples obtained from individuals diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) (Group II, n=40) and healthy volunteers (Group I, n=40) were used for the analysis of plasma lipids, IL-6, and IL-37 levels. Among the MetS group, 20 patients underwent laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG) due to obesity. The total cholesterol, HbA1c, IL-6, and IL-37 levels in plasma samples collected before (Pre-SG) and after (Post-SG) the operation were compared. Plasma IL-6 and IL-37 levels were measured using a commercially available solid-phase competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
RESULTS: Plasma IL-37 levels were significantly lower in Group II compared to Group I, whereas IL-6 levels were significantly higher (IL-6: Group I: 0.82±0.41; Group II: 2.06±0.5; p<0.001; IL-37: Group I: 1.47±0.51; Group II: 0.67±0.27; p<0.001). Preoperative IL-37 levels were lower compared to postoperative levels following SG, while IL-6 levels exhibited the opposite trend.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: IL-37 may serve as a promising therapeutic target for preventing and slowing the progression of MetS. However, larger-scale, multidisciplinary studies with additional parameters are necessary to further validate these findings.
Manuscript Language: English