A Clinical Study On The Relationship Of C-Reactive Protein And Interleukin-2 To Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

Background: The incidence of diabetes mellitus is increasing in recent years. Consequently, the cardiovascular complications of diabetes have become a major cause of death in senile patients. Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of important cardiovascular complications of diabetes mellitus. The decrease of diastolic and systolic functions of left ventricle features the physiopathologic characteristics of DCM. The pathogenesis of DCM is complicated, which includes metabolism factor, pathological changes of cytology, myocardial fibrosis, and collagen remodeling. Some recent researches indicate that inflammation plays an important role in the occurrence and development of DCM.Objective: The aim of present study was to investigate the relationship of serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) to diabetic cardiomyopathy in patients.Methods: Twenty-four patients with DCM were recruited as DCM group and 22 healthy people as the control. Serum levels of CRP and IL-2 in all subjects were determined by immunonephelometry and immunoassay, respectively. Results: Compared with control subjects, the serum levels of CRP and IL-2 in patients with DCM were significantly increased by about 3.7 folds (6.95±1.37 vs. 1.89±0.38 mg/dl, p<0.001) and about 4.3 folds (12.21±8.86 vs. 2.84±4.48 pg/ml, p<0.001), respectively. The serum levels of CRP correlated negatively with HDL-C (r=-0.639, p<0.01), but positively with LDL-C levels (r=0.495, p<0.05). Conclusion: The results of present study indicated that inflammation and immunity were involved in the development of DCM and CRP and IL-2 as chemical markers inaugurated a new way for the diagnosis and treatment of DCM in diabetic patients.