In the first large scale, multiethnic study of its kind, the researchers have confirmed the role played by the three molecules known as cytokines as a cause of Type 2 diabetes, and have identified these molecules as early biological markers that may be used to more accurately predict future incidences of the disease among apparently healthy people.

The study was conducted by a group of researchers led by Simin Liu, professor of epidemiology and medicine with a joint appointment in the School of Public Health and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

The researchers have identified three inflammatory cytokines (cytokines are messenger molecules) tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a); interleukin-6 (IL-6); and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) that may be one of the causes of type 2 diabetes.

"This is a final confirmation of earlier studies about the underlying biology behind type 2 diabetes," said Liu.

"Our study identified 1,600 new cases of diabetes and measured the blood markers before they developed the disease," he said.

The researchers took advantage of the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (WHIOS), an ongoing, long-term study that was designed to examine the association between behaviour, socio-economic status, diet, and other factors and the effect on a woman's health.

Liu and colleagues took baseline level measurements of inflammatory cytokines in apparently healthy women without any signs of diabetes who were between the ages of 50 and 79 years-old, then tracked their health for the next six years.