Effect of the interleukin-6 (-174) g/c promoter polymorphism on adiponectin and insulin sensitivity.

We investigated the relation among the interleukin (IL)-6 (-174) G/C promoter polymorphism, adipose tissue gene expression of IL6, circulating adiponectin, and systemic insulin sensitivity. Eighty-five Swedish male subjects who had participated in our previous prediabetic phenotype characterization study were genotyped for the IL6 (-174) G/C polymorphism. Subcutaneous adipose tissue gene expression of IL6 and adiponectin was measured in 44 subjects.

A novel cellular marker of insulin resistance and early atherosclerosis in humans is related to impaired fat cell differentiation and low adiponectin.

The epidemic increase in type 2 diabetes can be prevented only if markers of risk can be identified and used for early intervention. We examined the clinical phenotype of individuals characterized by normal or low IRS-1 protein expression in fat cells as well as the potential molecular mechanisms related to the adipose tissue. Twenty-five non-obese individuals with low or normal IRS-1 expression in subcutaneous abdominal fat cells were extensively characterized and the results compared with 71 carefully matched subjects with or without a known genetic predisposition for type 2 diabetes.