Relationships Between Serum Interleukn-18 Concentration with Acylated Ghrelin, Growth Hormone, Insulin Resistance, and Lipid Profile in Obese and Lean Men

Introduction: Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a strong proinflammatory cytokine that its increased levels are associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerosis. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between serum interleukin-18 concentration with acylated ghrelin, growth hormone, insulin resistance, and lipid profile in obese and lean men. Methods: In this semi-experimental study, ninety obese (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2) and ninety lean men (body mass index ≤ 18.5 kg/m2) were selected. After 12 h fasting, blood samples were collected and general characteristics of subjects were assessed. The study data was then analyzed by Pearson’s correlation coefficient with the significance level of P