Short-term insulin intensive therapy decreases MCP-1 and NF-κB expression of peripheral blood monocyte and the serum MCP-1 concentration in newlydiagnosed type 2 diabetics.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of short-term insulin intensive treatment on the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) as well as on the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) expression of peripheral blood monocyte. This is also in addition to observing the serum MCP-1 level in newlydiagnosed type 2 diabetic patients and probing its anti-inflammation effects.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients were treated with an insulin intensive treatment for 2 weeks. MCP-1 and NF-κB expression on the monocyte surface were measured with flow cytometry, the serum MCP-1 level was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) during pretreatment and post-treatment.

RESULTS: After 2 weeks of the treatment, MCP-1 and NF-κB protein expression of peripheral blood monocyte and serum MCP-1 levels decreased significantly compared with those of pre-treatment, which were (0.50 ± 0.18)% vs (0.89 ± 0.26)% (12.22 ± 2.80)% vs (15.53 ± 2.49)% and (44.53 ± 3.97) pg/mL vs (49.53 ± 3.47) pg/mL, respectively (P < 0.01). The MCP-1 expression on monocyte surface had a significant positive relationship with serum MCP-1 levels (r = 0.47, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: Short-term insulin intensive therapy plays a role in alleviating the increased inflammation reaction in type 2 diabetics.