Increased circulating IL-8 is associated with reduced IGF-1 and related to poor metabolic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Background: A dysregulated growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) axis is well-recognized in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Decreased IGF-1 levels can also be found in chronic inflammatory diseases, while hyperglycemia promotes inflammatory cytokine production. Therefore, inflammatory cytokines may link poor metabolic control with GH/IGF-1 axis changes. This study examined the relationship between serum inflammatory cytokines and IGF-1 in adolescents (age 13–18) with TIDM in chronic poor (n = 17) or favorable (n = 19) glucose control. Poor control (PC) was defined as 3, consistent HbA1C > 9% during the previous 2 years, while favorable control (FC) was consistent levels of HbA1C < 9%. Results: HbA1C (FC: 7.5 ± 0.6%; PC: 10.5 ± 0.9%, p < 0.001) and interleukin (IL)-8 (FC: 3.7 ± 4.0 pg/ml; PC: 7.4 ± 4.3 pg/ml, p = 0.01) were increased and IGF-1 (FC: 536.5 ± 164.3 ng/ml; PC: 408.9 ± 157.1 ng/ml, p = 0.03) was decreased in patients with poor control compared to patients with favorable control. Moreover, IL-8 was inversely correlated with IGF-1 (r = −0.40, p = 0.03) and positively correlated with HbA1C (r = 0.36, p = 0.03). Conclusions: In adolescents with T1DM and chronic, poor glucose control, increased serum IL-8 is associated with reduced IGF-1 suggesting a pro-inflammatory milieu that may contribute to alterations in the GH/IGF-1 axis.