Role of Interleukins in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
<b>Background</b>: Despite distinct etiologies, type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) share chronic inflammation as a core feature. Interleukins, key immune mediators, play important yet still not fully understood roles in the development and complications of both conditions. &...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/15/1906 |
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| author | Roha Asif Ammara Khalid Tolga Mercantepe Aleksandra Klisic Sana Rafaqat Saira Rafaqat Filiz Mercantepe |
| author_facet | Roha Asif Ammara Khalid Tolga Mercantepe Aleksandra Klisic Sana Rafaqat Saira Rafaqat Filiz Mercantepe |
| author_sort | Roha Asif |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background</b>: Despite distinct etiologies, type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) share chronic inflammation as a core feature. Interleukins, key immune mediators, play important yet still not fully understood roles in the development and complications of both conditions. <b>Objective</b>: This narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive and critical synthesis of current evidence on the role of key interleukins in T1D and T2D, highlighting their immunological functions, genetic associations, clinical correlations, and translational potential. <b>Methods</b>: A targeted literature search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect up to January 2025, focusing on English-language clinical and experimental studies involving interleukins and their relevance to T1D and T2D. Reference lists were manually screened for additional sources. Interleukins (ILs) were reviewed individually to assess their immunobiology, disease specificity, and biomarker or therapeutic value. <b>Findings</b>: Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17 contribute to islet inflammation, insulin resistance, and microvascular damage in both T1D and T2D. Anti-inflammatory mediators including IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13 exhibit protective effects but vary in expression across disease stages. Less-characterized interleukins such as IL-3, IL-5, IL-9, and IL-27 demonstrate dual or context-dependent roles, particularly in shaping immune tolerance and tissue-specific complications such as nephropathy and neuropathy. Polymorphisms in IL-10 and IL-6 genes further suggest genetic contributions to interleukin dysregulation and metabolic dysfunction. Despite promising insights, translational gaps persist due to overreliance on preclinical models and limited longitudinal clinical data. <b>Conclusions</b>: Interleukins represent a mechanistic bridge linking immune dysregulation to metabolic derangements in both T1D and T2D. While their diagnostic and therapeutic potential is increasingly recognized, future research must address current limitations through isoform-specific targeting, context-aware interventions, and validation in large-scale, human cohorts. A unified interleukin-based framework may ultimately advance personalized strategies for diabetes prevention and treatment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dbfc6fe2f15b4c22bb917008ccbb0021 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2075-4418 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diagnostics |
| spelling | doaj-art-dbfc6fe2f15b4c22bb917008ccbb00212025-08-20T03:02:48ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182025-07-011515190610.3390/diagnostics15151906Role of Interleukins in Type 1 and Type 2 DiabetesRoha Asif0Ammara Khalid1Tolga Mercantepe2Aleksandra Klisic3Sana Rafaqat4Saira Rafaqat5Filiz Mercantepe6Department of Biotechnology, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 44444, PakistanDepartment of Biotechnology, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 44444, PakistanDepartment of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize 53100, TürkiyeFaculty of Medicine, Podgorica, Montenegro, University of Montenegro, 81000 Podgorica, MontenegroDepartment of Biotechnology, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 44444, PakistanDepartment of Zoology (Molecular Physiology), Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 44444, PakistanDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize 53100, Türkiye<b>Background</b>: Despite distinct etiologies, type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) share chronic inflammation as a core feature. Interleukins, key immune mediators, play important yet still not fully understood roles in the development and complications of both conditions. <b>Objective</b>: This narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive and critical synthesis of current evidence on the role of key interleukins in T1D and T2D, highlighting their immunological functions, genetic associations, clinical correlations, and translational potential. <b>Methods</b>: A targeted literature search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect up to January 2025, focusing on English-language clinical and experimental studies involving interleukins and their relevance to T1D and T2D. Reference lists were manually screened for additional sources. Interleukins (ILs) were reviewed individually to assess their immunobiology, disease specificity, and biomarker or therapeutic value. <b>Findings</b>: Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17 contribute to islet inflammation, insulin resistance, and microvascular damage in both T1D and T2D. Anti-inflammatory mediators including IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13 exhibit protective effects but vary in expression across disease stages. Less-characterized interleukins such as IL-3, IL-5, IL-9, and IL-27 demonstrate dual or context-dependent roles, particularly in shaping immune tolerance and tissue-specific complications such as nephropathy and neuropathy. Polymorphisms in IL-10 and IL-6 genes further suggest genetic contributions to interleukin dysregulation and metabolic dysfunction. Despite promising insights, translational gaps persist due to overreliance on preclinical models and limited longitudinal clinical data. <b>Conclusions</b>: Interleukins represent a mechanistic bridge linking immune dysregulation to metabolic derangements in both T1D and T2D. While their diagnostic and therapeutic potential is increasingly recognized, future research must address current limitations through isoform-specific targeting, context-aware interventions, and validation in large-scale, human cohorts. A unified interleukin-based framework may ultimately advance personalized strategies for diabetes prevention and treatment.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/15/1906interleukinsdiabetes mellitusinflammationcytokinestype 1 diabetestype 2 diabetes |
| spellingShingle | Roha Asif Ammara Khalid Tolga Mercantepe Aleksandra Klisic Sana Rafaqat Saira Rafaqat Filiz Mercantepe Role of Interleukins in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Diagnostics interleukins diabetes mellitus inflammation cytokines type 1 diabetes type 2 diabetes |
| title | Role of Interleukins in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes |
| title_full | Role of Interleukins in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes |
| title_fullStr | Role of Interleukins in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Role of Interleukins in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes |
| title_short | Role of Interleukins in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes |
| title_sort | role of interleukins in type 1 and type 2 diabetes |
| topic | interleukins diabetes mellitus inflammation cytokines type 1 diabetes type 2 diabetes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/15/1906 |
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