Table 4.
Circulating cytokines and growth factors in the patients enrolled in this study, grouped according to their adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
| Adherence to Mediterranean Diet | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (n = 76) |
Moderate (n = 135) |
High (n = 95) |
p | |
| IL-1α (pg/mL) | 0.53 ± 0.06 | 0.53 ± 0.05 | 0.53 ± 0.09 | 0.839 |
| IL-1β (pg/mL) | 0.96 ± 0.23 | 0.91 ± 0.29 | 0.92 ± 0.24 | 0.446 |
| IL-2 (pg/mL) | 0.99 ± 0.53 | 0.93 ± 0.43 | 0.94 ± 0.60 | 0.725 |
| IL-4 (pg/mL) | 0.81 ± 0.22 | 0.84 ± 0.16 | 0.84 ± 0.30 | 0.595 |
| IL-6 (pg/mL) | 21.8 ± 4.98 | 11.9 ± 5.55 *** | 3.37 ± 1.56 ***,††† | <0.001 |
| IL-8 (pg/mL) | 100 ± 29.9 | 103 ± 35.7 | 99.0 ± 43.9 | 0.608 |
| IL-10 (pg/mL) | 1.98 ± 0.97 | 1.95 ± 1.17 | 1.69 ± 0.71 | 0.090 |
| TNF (pg/mL) | 13.2 ± 2.10 | 6.52 ± 3.36 *** | 4.60 ± 1.86 ***,††† | <0.001 |
| IFN-γ (pg/mL) | 2.26 ± 0.86 | 2.27 ± 0.93 | 2.41 ± 1.12 | 0.485 |
| VEGF (pg/mL) | 253 ± 43.9 | 262 ± 35.7 | 261 ± 54.2 | 0.357 |
| EGF (pg/mL) | 13.9 ± 1.33 | 13.4 ± 2.04 | 13.6 ± 3.46 | 0.295 |
Statistical differences were evaluated by one-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s post hoc test. p values < 0.05 (in bold) were considered statistically significant. *** = p < 0.001 vs. low; ††† = p < 0.001 vs. moderate. IL, interleukin; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; IFN, interferon; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; and EGF, epidermal growth factor.