Interleukin‐6 and Oncostatin M Levels in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes and Its Relationship With Glycemic Indices

INTRODUCTION: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disorder characterised by progressive destruction of pancreatic β-cells, in which inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and oncostatin M (OSM) play key roles. This study aimed to evaluate serum IL-6 and OSM levels and their relationship with glycemic indices in children with T1DM. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 80 children (40 with T1DM and 40 controls) aged 3-18 years were included. Exclusion criteria were congenital or inflammatory disorders and use of anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, NSAIDs, antibiotics, lipid-lowering agents, hypoglycemic drugs, herbal supplements, multivitamins, or special diets. Serum IL-6, OSM, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and HbA1c were measured. Demographic and clinical data-including age, sex, growth percentiles, BMI percentile, blood pressure, duration of diabetes, and history of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)-were recorded. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of glycemic indices, and ROC curve analysis assessed the diagnostic performance of OSM. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Out of 80 subjects, the mean age was 10.62 (3.3) years in children with T1DM and 11.25 (3.6) years in controls, with a comparable gender distribution (male: 52.5% vs. 60%). Serum OSM levels were significantly higher in children with T1DM (p < 0.001) and strongly predicted elevated HbA1c (adjusted OR = 3.06; 95% CI: 1.84-5.08) and FBS (adjusted OR = 1.70; 95% CI: 1.31-2.20). ROC analysis demonstrated a robust ability to discriminate T1DM from controls (AUC = 0.94; 95% CI: 0.89-0.99), with a cut-off of OSM > 10.0675, yielding a sensitivity and specificity of 87.5%. IL-6 levels did not differ significantly between groups but were higher in children with a history of DKA. CONCLUSION: OSM may represent a sensitive and specific biomarker for distinguishing children with T1DM from healthy individuals, whereas IL-6 appears more closely related to DKA-associated inflammation.