Clinical Significance of Serum IL-6 and TNF-α Levels in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

Background: several components of metabolic syndrome (mets) facilitate its diagnosis, including abdominal obesity, hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance. the production of interleukin- 6 (il-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (tnf-α) seem to be associated with mets components. the aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between il-6 and tnf-α serum levels with mets and its components. methods: this case-control study investigated 250 subjects, comprising 125 healthy controls from the kerman blood transfusion organization and 125 mets patients. serum il-6 and tnf-α levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa). results: serum il-6 and tnf-α levels were greater in mets patients than in controls. however, no correlation was observed between mets components and il-6 or tnf-α serum levels. conclusions: patients with mets had significantly greater serum il-6 and tnf-α levels than the controls, supporting the evidence that inflammation plays an important role in the immunopathogenesis of the disease. additionally, il-6 and tnf-α serum levels may predict mets. the lack of association between il-6 and tnf- α serum levels and mets components remains to be investigated by further research.