1. Introduction:
Type 2 diabetes mellitus, also known as T2DM, is a complex disease that has rapidly become a major public health concern around the globe, particularly in less developed nations [
1,
2,
3,
4]. The rapid advancement of the economy, the rise in the number of people who are inactive physically, the consumption of foods high in calories, and the evolution of lifestyles are all factors that have contributed to the increased prevalence of obesity and diabetes [
4,
5]. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus among adults around the world was anticipated to be 536.6 million individuals in 2021, which would account for 10.5% of the global population. In addition, IDF forecasts that by the year 2045, the number of people worldwide who have diabetes will have increased to 783.2 million, making up 12.2% of the total population [
6]. China, the world's second most populous developing nation with a population that accounts for roughly one-fifth of the total global population, has seen a significant rise in the number of people who are diagnosed with diabetes in recent years [
7]. As per the recent estimates in Saudi Arabia, which has a total population of 24,194,300 people, the prevalence of diabetes is 17.7%, and there are around 4274100 adult diabetic patients (
https://idf.org/our-network/regions-members/middle-east-and-north-africa/members/46-saudi-arabia.html, accessed on Oct.16, 2023). Diabetes, which is consistently ranked among the top 10 causes of death around the world, can more than double or even triple a person's likelihood of passing away from any cause [
1,
2]. Type 2 diabetes is responsible for nearly 95% of all cases of diabetes. The hallmark symptom is hyperglycemia which lasts for an extended period of time, and can be caused by either inadequate insulin synthesis or impaired insulin action [
3,
8]
It has been established that the frequency and occurrence of T2DM varies greatly around the world based on ethnicity and geographic location, with the largest risks being faced by Japanese, Hispanic, and Native American individuals [
9,
10,
11]. The incidence rates of T2DM among Asians have been observed to be higher compared to white American and UK populations. Noteworthy is the fact that the black population is the category with the highest risk level in both demographics [
1].
Although the precise etiology has not yet been determined, there are a number of factors that have been proposed as possible contributors [
14,
15]. These include social and economic variables, innate genetic predispositions, interactions between genes and the environment, and current lifestyle elements that contribute to obesity. A person's genetic susceptibility has a profound bearing on the likelihood that they may develop T2DM. The complex polygenic aspects of T2DM have been revealed thanks to the numerous genome-wide association studies that have been carried out over the course of the past decade [
4,
14,
15] By primarily influencing the body's ability to produce insulin, the great majority of these genetic loci raise the chance of developing T2DM.
Long-term risks of T2DM include kidney failure, blindness, and cardiovascular disease in addition to diabetic neuropathy. Acute problems include diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome [
16]. Insulin resistance (IR), metabolic syndrome (MS), and decreased insulin production are hallmarks of T2DM, both of which contribute to the pathophysiology of the disease and make it practically impossible to effectively manage glycemic levels. It is estimated that 90 percent of persons who have diabetes are either overweight or obese, and obesity has emerged as one of the most significant risk factors for T2DM [
17,
18].
Recent observations suggest that inflammation, immunological dysregulation, alterations in gut microbiota, and cytokine dysregulation are the key pathophysiological contributors to T2DM [3,4,814]. The focus of many recent investigations has been on unraveling the molecular bases, of metabolic inflammation and its association with cardiometabolic disease and T2DM [
19,
20]. This inflammatory nexus has been a hallmark of obesity and MS [
21,
22]. Obesity-induced inflammation is mainly mediated by immune cells especially the macrophages and T lymphocytes [
22,
23]. In particular, adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) are the major sources of pro-inflammatory cytokines that participate in diverse molecular signals leading to IR [
23].
Chemokines, a well-known family of cytokines, play a significant role in inflammation and autoimmune disorders. [
23,
24]. More than fifty chemokines and a set of around 20 chemokine receptors expressed in adipocytes have been implicated in the acute and chronic inflammatory processes [
25,
26,
27]. Chemokines can be broken down into four groups, each based on a different motif sequence containing two N-terminal cysteine residues (where X is any amino acid residue) [
27]. Most CC chemokines act on monocytes, T cells, eosinophils, and basophils, which mediate chronic inflammation and allergies, while CXC chemokines are mostly chemotactic for neutrophils and are known to be involved in acute inflammation. Complex metabolic signals involving obesity and inflammation involve chemokines since most chemokines bind to multiple chemokine receptors and chemokine receptors have overlapping ligand specificities [
22,
25,
27].
Chemo and cytokines are expressed in response to diverse stimulations that include excess nutrients and lead to an inflammatory cascade which creates a favorable ambiance for obesity, dysfunction of beta cells, and /or reduced insulin production [
25,
28]. Many Pro-inflammatory chemokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of T2DM which is supposed to be multifaceted [
22,
24].
CCL1: Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 1 is a small inducible glycoprotein cytokine and is also known as I-309 or TCA-3. It is encoded by the gene, Scya 1 and binds CCR8 as its receptor [
22,
24]. Increased levels of CCL1 have been reported in patients with T2DM who had comorbidities and diabetic complications [
22,
29]. The reports are inconsistent with some investigators suggesting a role for CCL1 in the pathogenesis of T2DM while others are of a contrary opinion [
24,
29]. Low sample sizes have also been a common feature of these studies, thus justifying further investigation of CCL1 in T2DM patients with a reasonable sample size.
CCL2: CCL2 is commonly known as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1). MCP-1 is widely known as a pro-inflammatory cytokine due to its chemotactic activity. It has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases including atherosclerosis, obesity, and type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) [
30,
31]. High levels of CCL2 were reported to be protective against T1DM and intriguingly associated with its complications [
30,
31]. While as many studies have shown higher CCL2 levels in T2DM [
22], CCL2 is involved in the recruitment and differentiation of macrophages to a Pro-inflammatory state [
30,
32]. Several studies have shown positive outcomes in diabetic complications in association with decreased levels of CCL2 [
32].
CCL4: It is a Pro-inflammatory chemokine and is also known as macrophage Inflammatory Protein-beta MIP-1β. It is encoded by the gene Scya4 and signals via the receptors CCR1 and CCR5. CCL4 has been reported to be upregulated in both type 1 and 2 diabetes and the circulatory levels of CCL4 were inversely associated with proinsulin. [
22,
33,
34]. Inhibition of CCL4 has been reported to improve IR and decrease the chances of a hyperglycemic state leading to the progression of T2DM. [
33].
CCL5: Aa a pro-inflammatory chemokine, CCK5 helps in the recruitment of
leukocytes to the site of
inflammation. Also known as
RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted), it is an 8 kDa protein made up of 68 amino acids and encoded by the Scya5 gene [
35]. CCL5 is associated with many diseases including cardiovascular disorders, cancer, and different types of diabetes including T2DM [
35,
36,
37]. CCL 5 is thought to be associated with IR in relation to age, HbA1c, obesity, and other factors, although the number of studies is limited [
38]. With this background, we intended to study, the relationship of Pro-inflammatory chemokines, CCL1, CCL2, CCL4, and CCL5 with the etiopathogenesis of T2DM in patients with varying levels of obesity, BMI, and HbA1c in a patient cohort from Asir region of Saudia Arabia.
2. Methods
2.1. Study population
This collaborative and case-control study was conducted on 200 T2DM patients and 100 healthy controls from Asir region of Saudi Arabia (
Figure 1).
All the study participants were Saudi citizens. The blood samples were collected at the Diabetic Centre, King Abdullah Hospital (KAH) in Bisha, and Asir General Hospital (AGH) in Abha. The recruitment period of the patients and controls was from March 2020 to May 2022. Informed consent was obtained from all patients and control subjects before the collection of blood samples.
2.2. Inclusion criteria
Only Saudi citizens living Asir region (Bisha and Abha cities and surrounding areas) were enrolled in this study. 200 confirmed T2DM patients who were on oral hypoglycemic agents and/or insulin were included in this study which comprised 110 males and 90 females.
2.3. Exclusion Criteria
The T2DM patients with other significant chronic diseases or malignancies were excluded from the study. Type 1 diabetes patients were also excluded from the study.
2.4. Inclusion criteria for controls
100 control subjects included healthy volunteers with no history of diabetes or any major clinical disorders and had normal fasting and random plasma glucose levels.
2.5. Exclusion criteria for controls
Those control subjects who had abnormal laboratory indices were excluded from the study, as a result, 85 control subjects (44 males and 41 females) were included in the study. The other criterion for selecting this limited number of control subjects was the availability of ELISA kits as each 96-well kit was sufficient for less than 88 samples after including the calibrators and QC samples.
2.6. Data collection
Finally, 170 Saudi citizens with confirmed T2DM (96 males and 74 females) who visited KAH and AGH for regular follow-up and met the inclusion criteria were made a part of the study. T2DM was diagnosed according to the parameters of WHO criteria. The case history, age, gender, body mass index (BMI), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting and random blood glucose levels, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol (TG), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations were among the various variables analyzed from the T2DM patients and controls. The established techniques were used to measure the anthropometric and biochemical parameters.
2.7. Blood specimen collection from T2DM patients
For each T2DM patient, 4 ml of peripheral blood was drawn into a red top tube without the use of any anticoagulants. One serum aliquot was immediately stored at -20oC till the estimation of interleukins. The second serum sample was sent right away for biochemical evaluation.
2.8. Blood specimen collection from healthy controls
Sample collections from all healthy age-matched control subjects were timed around routine blood draws that were part of the standard health exam. This eliminated the need for additional phlebotomy. For all controls, a sample of peripheral blood measuring about 4 ml was taken and placed in a red top tube without any anticoagulant. One serum aliquot was immediately stored at -20oC till the estimation of interleukins. The second serum part was immediately used for biochemical evaluation.
2.9. Estimation of Biochemical parameters
All the serum chemistry investigations were performed on a random access, multi-channel analyzer (Roche Diagnostics) in the medical laboratory department KAH, Bisha. The commercially available test kits including the calibrators and internal quality control samples from the manufacturer were used for these analyses.
Estimation of Chemokines: The serum concentrations of the four Pro-inflammatory chemokines viz. CCL1, CCL2, CCl4, and CCL5 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) assays using commercially available kits from abcam, UK. The intra and inter-assay variations were less than 5%.
CCL1: The serum level of CCL1 was determined using a commercially available, high-sensitivity CCL1 Human ELISA Kit (abcam, UK, Cat No. ab314600, 96 wells) with a sensitivity of 1.4 picograms per milliliter (pg/mL) and a measuring range of 4.7 -300 pg/mL. The assay was performed as per the instructions of the manufacturer and the results were reported as pg/mL.
CCL2 (MCP-1): The serum level of CCL2 was determined using a commercially available Human MCP-1 ELISA kit (abcam UK. ab179886) with a sensitivity of 1.26 pg/mL and a measuring range of 4.7 -300 pg/mL. The assay was performed as per the instructions of the manufacturer and the results were reported as pg/mL.
CCL4 (MIP-β): The serum level of CCL4 was determined using a commercially available Human MIP- β ELISA kit (abcam UK. Ab100597) with a sensitivity of 2.5 pg/mL and a measuring range of 4.1 -1000 pg/mL. The assay was performed as per the instructions of the manufacturer and the results were reported as pg/mL.
CCL5 (RANTES): The serum level of CCL5 was determined using a commercially available Human RANTES ELISA kit (abcam UK. ab174446) with a sensitivity of 0.091 pg/mL and a measuring range of 0.94-60 pg/mL. The assay was performed as per the instructions of the manufacturer and the results were reported as pg/mL.
Statistical analysis: SPSS, version 20, was used to conduct the statistical analysis. Data that had a normally distributed distribution were presented as means with standard deviations (SD), while data that had a skewed distribution were displayed as medians (Q1–Q3). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the Tukey HSD test was used to determine the significance of differences for variables with normal distribution and homogenous variances; otherwise, Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance by ranks and the multiple comparison post hoc test were used. Values equal to or less than 0.05 (p<0.05) were deemed significant.
4. Discussion
Insulin resistance and faulty insulin production are hallmarks of the pathogenesis of T2DM. One of the most prominent risk factors for type 2 diabetes is obesity [
8,
14,
15]. Several studies have revealed key pathophysiological aspects of T2DM, including inflammation, chemokine dysregulation, gut microbiome alterations, and immunological dysregulation [
3,
4,
8,
14]. Many inflammatory cytokines and other variables contribute to the inflammatory nexus that is characteristic of obesity and MS [
19,
23,
24]. Pro-inflammatory chemokines have been linked to the etiology of T2DM, although the results have been mixed and inconsistent [
22,
23,
24]. Using a patient and a control cohort from the Asir region of Saudia Arabia, we looked into the association between the Pro-inflammatory chemokines CCL1, CCL2, CCL4, and CCL5 and the etiopathogenesis of T2DM in people with different degrees of obesity, BMI, and HbA1c.
CCL1 (I-309 or TCA-3): The mean levels of CCL1 were similar in male (N=44) and female (N=41) control subjects which is in agreement with previous studies [
22,
24,
29]. CCL2 levels in T2DM patients with normal body weight (group A) and in overweight (group B) were significantly higher as compared to the controls in both males and females with p<0.01. Obese and highly obese T2DM patients of both genders in groups C and D depicted very highly significant elevations in CCL1 levels with p<0.001. The highest levels of CCL1 were observed in group D. These results are in conformity with other studies [
22,
24]. CCL 1 is believed to mediate the recruitment of monocytes, macrophages, Th2, and Treg cells by interacting with the CCR8 chemokine receptor [
22,
39]. This turn of events results in the release of many pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1 β [
22,
40]. The resultant inflammatory cascade results in impaired secretion of insulin in β islet cells [
41]. IL-6 and IL-1 β are involved in IR mediated through the under-expression of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and also suppress the activity of lipoprotein lipase resulting in hypertriglyceridemia [
42]. CCL1 is believed to act like a double-edged sword predisposing the patients to both obesity and insulin resistance, this assumption seems plausible in the light of significantly higher levels of CCL1 in T2DM patients in all the four groups A to D, ranging from normal body weight to severe obesity.
CCL2 (MCP-1): CCL-2 is a Pro-inflammatory chemokine that exerts its action by specifically binding to CCR2 receptors. The mean levels of CCL2 were similar in male (288 ± 33.12 pg/mL) and female (275 ± 32.14 pg/mL) controls, which agrees with previous studies [
2,
3,
8]. CCL2 levels in T2DM patients with normal body weight (group A) and in overweight (group B) were significantly higher as compared to the controls in both males and females with p<0.05. Obese and highly obese T2DM patients of both genders in (groups C and D) showed very highly significant elevations in CCL2 levels with p<0.001 Group C (obese T2DM patients) showed significantly elevated levels of CCL2 as compared to controls with p<0.01. Although a few studies showed lower levels of CCL-2 in the prediabetic state, our results are partly consistent with earlier studies that reported higher levels of CCL2 in prediabetes, T1DM, and T2DM in general as there was no further subdivision on the basis of BMI and level of obesity in those studies [
2,
3,
8,
22]. A previous study from KSA showed higher levels of CCL2 in obese women and lower levels in obese men without any significance which is in contrast with our study outcomes and previous studies [
43]. Overnutrition and resultant obesity is involved in the activation of adipose tissue especially the ATMs leading to higher levels of CCL2 [
44,
45]. CCL2 plays an active role in the recruitment of monocytes, NK cells, and other inflammatory cells and hence is a significant contributor to the inflammatory cascade which is a turning point in IR and MS[
46,
47]. The inhibition of CCL2 in animal models has been reported to modulate the inflammation cascade and ameliorate the symptoms of insulin resistance [
48,
49,
50]. CCL2 has not been the subject of human studies like these, but it shows promise in both understanding the mechanisms behind the onset of IR and MS and in developing effective treatments for these conditions.
CCL4 (MIP-1β): Our results showed that mean levels of CCL4 were similar in male (186± 22.56 pg/mL) and female (194± 22.54 pg/mL) controls. CCL4 levels in T2DM patients with normal body weight (group A) and in overweight (group B) were significantly higher as compared to the controls in both the genders with p<0.05. T2DM patients in group C and D (obese and severely obese respectively in both genders showed very highly significant elevations in CCL4 levels with p<0.001. In both males and females, severely obese T2DM patients in Group D showed higher levels of CCL4 as compared to obese Group C T2DM patients with p<0.04 and significantly elevated levels of CCL4 compared to groups A and B, with p<0.01 as is displayed in
Table 4 and
Figure 4. Our results on CCL 4 are mostly consistent with previous studies which reported higher levels of CCL4 in all types of diabetes although there was no segregation of the patients on the basis of gender and BMI [
22,
50,
51]. CCL4 is a Pro-inflammatory chemokine and is involved in the upregulation of the inflammatory pathways leading to IR and its inhibition has been seen to improve the IR and glycemic control in animal models [
13,
22]. The exact mechanism involving CCL4 in the IR and MS and its possible therapeutic roles (if any) are still elusive and need further studies.
CCL5 (RANTES): Also known as RANTES, CCL4 exerts its effects by binding to the chemokine receptor CCR5 and is a Pro-inflammatory chemokine [
22]. Our study depicted almost similar serum levels of CCL5 in both male and female control groups as is true of other chemokines. In line with previous studies, our results showed a general trend of CCL5 elevation in T2DM patients as compared to controls (irrespective of gender) but an increase in serum CCL5 in the group A T2DM patients with normal body weight was highly pronounced with p < 0.001 in contrast to Groups B to D as can be seen in
Figure 3 and
Figure 5 [
22,
43,
48]. CCL5 helps in the recruitment of leucocytes to the sites of inflammation and has been implicated in many diseases including T2DM [
35,
36,
37]. Our observation that T2DM patients with varying levels of obesity (Groups B to D) showed significantly lower CCL5 levels irrespective of gender as compared to T2DM patients with normal body weight is a bit bewildering and we don’t have any concrete explanation for this phenomenon. It could be an observation that might have been overseen in previous studies as there was no subgrouping on the basis of BMI in T2DM patients in previous studies [22, 43). One possible explanation is that there might be some counterbalancing mechanism in overweight and obese T2DM patients which leads to the under-expression of CCL5.