Leptin, triglycerides, and interleukin 6 are independently associated with C-reactive protein in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients

Abstract The aim of the present study was to investigate the factors contributing to the concentration of serum C-reactive protein in type 2 diabetic patients. One hundred and 48 Japanese type 2 diabetic patients were studied. In conjunction with C-reactive protein (CRP), BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting concentrations of plasma glucose, and serum lipids (triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and leptin were measured. Insulin resistance was also estimated by the insulin resistance index of homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). With univariate analysis, serum CRP was positively correlated with BMI ( r =0.281, P r =0.176, P =0.048), triglycerides ( r =0.293, P r =0.294, P r =0.323, P r =0.330, P r =−0.181, P =0.028). Multiple regression analyses showed that serum CRP was independently predicted by the level of IL-6 ( P F =4.04), leptin ( P F =7.09), and triglycerides ( P F =15.13), which explained 17.6% of the variability of serum CRP concentration in these patients. From these results, it can be concluded that along with IL-6 and triglycerides, leptin is another important independent factor that is associated with CRP in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients.