Correlation of Serum Interleukin-1 and Interleukin-4 with Albumin and Creatinine Levels in Female Patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus in Nnewi Metropolis

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycemia and chronic low-grade inflammation, which contributes to renal complications. Cytokine imbalance, particularly between pro-inflammatory interleukin-1 and anti-inflammatory interleukin-4, may influence progression of renal impairment, as reflected by alterations in serum albumin and creatinine levels. This was a cross-sectional study to evaluate the relationship between inflammatory cytokines and some renal biomarkers in female patients with T2DM attending Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State. Participants comprised of 30 female patients with T2DM and 30 apparently healthy female controls. Serum IL-1 and IL-4 levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, serum albumin and creatinine were estimated using bromocresol green and Jaffe reaction method respectively. Data were analyzed using an independent t-test and Pearson correlation analysis at p<0.05. The serum IL-1 levels showed no significant difference between diabetic females and controls (p>0.05), while IL-4 level was significantly higher in diabetic females (p<0.05). Serum albumin was significantly lower, whereas creatinine was higher (p<0.05) in diabetic females than controls. IL-1 showed a significant positive correlation with albumin and creatinine, whereas IL-4 showed a negative correlation with creatinine (p=0.046) and non-significant (p>0.05) negative correlation with albumin. No significant correlations were observed among healthy controls. The study demonstrates that inflammatory cytokine imbalance could be associated with renal dysfunction in female patients with T2DM. These findings suggest that cytokine profiling alongside conventional renal markers may improve early detection and monitoring of diabetic kidney complications in women.