Table 5.

Comparison of cytokine levels among the three groups ($\overline{x}$ ± s).

Variable	CNT (n = 42)	DM (n = 42)	DN (n = 42)	F	P-value
IL-1 (pg/ml)	6.49 ± 0.92	7.34 ± 0.90a	8.65 ± 1.48a,b	38.762	< 0.001
IL-6 (pg/ml)	18.70 ± 5.61	21.19 ± 7.59	23.89 ± 10.90a	4.130	0.018
TNF-α (pg/ml)	7.75 ± 3.07	9.64 ± 4.70	13.82 ± 7.71a,b	12.138	< 0.001
MCP-1 (pg/ml)	17.52 ± 9.79	22.67 ± 10.32	58.89 ± 54.68a,b	21.213	< 0.001
hs-CRP (ng/ml)	6.14 ± 5.64	11.66 ± 6.49a	13.31 ± 8.47a	8.458	< 0.001

Adjustment of age and sex.

CNT: healthy control; DM: diabetes mellitus; DN: diabetic nephropathy; hs-CRP: hypersensitive C-reactive protein; IL: interleukin; MCP-1: monocyte chemotactic protein-1; TNF-α: tumour necrosis factor-α.

^aP < 0.05 versus CNT group.

^bP < 0.05 versus DM group.