Acute hyperglycaemia induces an inflammatory response in young patients with type 1 diabetes

Background. Patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at a substantially increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Stress-induced hyperglycaemia in turn is shown to worsen the prognosis of patients suffering from an acute myocardial infarction. However, the mechanisms behind these findings are incompletely known. Aim. To investigate whether markers of chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress respond to acute hyperglycaemia in patients with T1D. Methods. The plasma glucose concentration was rapidly raised from 5 to 15 mmol/L in 35 males (22 men with T1D and 13 age-matched non-diabetic volunteers) and maintained for 2 h. All participants were young non-smokers without any signs of diabetic or other complications. Markers of chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress were analysed in serum/plasma samples drawn at base-line and after 120 min of hyperglycaemia. Results. Compared to normoglycaemia, acute hyperglycaemia increased the interleukin (IL)-6 concentrations by 39% in patients with T1D (P0.01) and 26% in healthy volunteers (P0.05). During hyperglycaemia the superoxide dismutase concentration was increased by 17% in the healthy volunteers (P0.01) and 5% in the patients with type 1 diabetes (P=NS). The increase in tumour necrosis factor (TNF)- was larger in patients with type 1 diabetes than in non-diabetic volunteers (35% versus -10%, P0.05). Conclusions. This study shows that acute hyperglycaemia induces an inflammatory response in patients with type 1 diabetes.