The effect of proinflammatory cytokines on renal function in patients with obesity: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Elevated serum creatinine levels and proteinuria are currently considered indicators of kidney damage; however, these markers typically appear at late stages, when renal injury is often irreversible and the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy is limited. Therefore, the identification of biomarkers for early diagnosis of kidney damage may remarkably improve the effectiveness of nephroprotective therapy. AIM: This work aimed to evaluate the association between levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-1β) and renal functional parameters in patients with varying degrees of obesity. METHODS: A prospective analysis of diagnostic data from 52 patients of both sexes was performed. Participants were divided into two groups based on glomerular filtration rate. Inclusion criteria were age 35–65 years and the presence of obesity; exclusion criteria included confirmed diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and other acute inflammatory conditions. RESULTS: Both IL-6 and IL-1β demonstrated acceptable diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.74) in identifying patients with early decline in glomerular filtration rate. These findings suggest that these cytokines may serve as potential biomarkers of early-stage chronic kidney disease associated with obesity, including in patients without comorbid chronic conditions. CONCLUSION: The cytokine profile can serve as a biomarker for the early diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction–associated kidney damage. This facilitates the development of targeted anti-inflammatory therapy strategies for the prevention of chronic kidney disease in patients with obesity.