Treatment with high doses of IL-15 results in metabolic adaptations such as improved insulin sensitivity and whole-body fatty acid oxidation and protection from high-fat-diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance.
The results suggest that IL-15 polymorphisms are involved in the risk of developing SA and are associated with metabolic syndrome, central obesity and fatty liver in our study population.
Although these beneficial effects are somewhat controversial, IL-15, exogenously delivered or endogenously produced, may be a promising target in the prevention and treatment of obesity and T2DM.
IL-6 and IL-15 protein concentrations were higher in SAT than in VAT for both obese (p = 0.003 and p < 0.0001, respectively) and control individuals (p = 0.004 and p = 0.001, respectively), while for IL-1β this was observed only in obese subjects (p = 0.047).
The relation between skeletal muscle IL-15 mRNA expression, plasma IL-15, and adipose tissue mass was studied in 199 humans divided into four groups on the basis of obesity and type 2 diabetes.