Alteration of IL-6 Gene Expression in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Depression

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with hyperglycemia as a metabolic disorder. Several inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, have been implicated in developing depression in people with type 2 diabetes.

The present study aimed to analyze the expression of the IL-6 gene in individuals with concurrent diabetes and depression.

A total of 50 cases with concurrent T2D and depression, as a case group and 50 patients with T2D only, as a control group, were referred to the Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The total RNA was extracted from the blood samples of all subjects. Real-time PCR was used to evaluate the expression of the IL-6 gene quantitatively.

There was a decrease in the expression of IL-6 in T2D patients suffering from depression (0.62±0.39) compared with those suffering from T2D alone (0.65 ± 0.43). This reduction was, however, not statistically significant (P > 0.05).

According to the findings, IL-6 gene expression is not linked to post-diabetes depression. Further studies are warranted to unravel the precise mechanism of IL-6 in the development of depression in cases diagnosed with T2D.