Relationships among oncostatin M, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation: a pilot study

Murat Akarsu, Mehmet Hurşitoğlu, Zeki Toprak, Şengül Aydin Yoldemir, Özgür Altun, Ilkim Deniz Toprak, Mustafa Özcan, Gülden Yürüyen, Bilal Uğurlukişi, Mahmut Genco Erdem, Kerem Kirna, Pinar Demir, Gazi Çapar, Yücel Arman, Tufan Tükek

Activated macrophages (M1-type macrophages) in adipose tissue secrete many proinflammatory cytokines that induce insulin resistance (IR). Oncostatin M (OSM), a member of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) family of Gp130 cytokines, plays an important role in a variety of biological functions, including the regulation of inflammatory responses. Proinflammatory cytokines released in patients with IR trigger a chronic, low-grade inflammatory reaction in blood vessel walls. This inflammator response leads to endothelial damage, which is the main mechanism for atherosclerosis and many cardiovascular diseases. Animal studies have reported a relationship between OSM and IR. To the best of our knowledge, however, few clinical studies have examined this topic. Therefore, we studied the relationship between serum levels of OSM and IR. This prospective cross-sectional case-control study enrolled 50 people with IR (according to the HOMA-IR and QUICKI indices) and 34 healthy controls. The fasting blood concentrations of insulin, glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride, total cholesterol, C-reactive protein (CRP), and OSM were determined. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, sex, and HbA1c levels. Univariate analyses showed that waist circumference (WC) and levels of fasting glucose, insulin, CRP, HDL-C, OSM, HOMA-IR, and QUICKI differed between the two study groups. In multivariate analyses, both IR indices (QUICKI and HOMA) and OSM differed between the two groups. OSM was correlated with the IR indices (QUICKI and HOMA). For simplicity, it might replace the other IR indices in the future. Further detailed studies are needed to confirm this.