Elevated C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor alpha and glycemic load associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus in rural Thais: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The elevated levels of inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL6) are supposed to be associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Frequent high glycemic load (GL) consumption, central obesity, and a lack of physical activity are considered to be T2DM risk factors. This study aimed to determine the difference of these inflammatory markers as well as GL in individuals with versus those without T2DM in rural Thais. METHODS: A total of 296 participants aged 35–66 living in Sung Noen District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand, were recruited. Blood was collected to evaluate blood glucose levels, lipid profiles, and inflammatory markers. A Semi-food frequency questionnaire was utilized to assess GL followed by socioeconomic and anthropometric assessment. Statistical analysis was subsequently performed. RESULTS: Elevated CRP and IL6 levels were associated with increased risk of developing T2DM [OR (95% CI): 7.51 (2.11, 26.74) and 4.95 (1.28, 19.11)], respectively. There was a trend towards increased risk of T2DM with elevated TNF-α levels [OR (95% CI): 1.56 (0.39, 6.14)]. GL correlated significantly with fasting blood glucose (r = 0.289, P = 0.016), suggesting that it is involved in T2DM in this study group. CONCLUSION: In this study, CRP, IL6, and TNF-α associated with T2DM. Our findings suggested that these inflammatory markers, especially CRP, may initiate T2DM. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12902-017-0189-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.