Levels of Lymphocyte Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood among Patients with Diabetes

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the lymphocyte (lymph) subpopulations in peripheral blood as a part of the immune response among patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DMT1) and diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2). Patients and methods: A prospective, cross-sectional, comparative, “case-control” study was conducted among 22 patients with DMT1 and 70 patients with DMT2. The levels of lymph subtypes [general nonspecific T-lymph (CD3+); T-helper lymph (CD4+); T-cytotoxic lymph (CD8+), natural killers [NK cells (CD3\ CD16+/CD56)] and B-lymph (CD19+)] in blood was measured and compared by flow-cytometric analisys (FAC Sort, BD). Results were compared to those of 21 healthy persons. The data was processed using the statistics software. Results: Patients with DMT1 had longer duration of the disease, compared to patients with DMT2. No significant differences between arterial blood pressure, НвА1с levels and lipid profile among the patients with DMT1 and DMT2 were present. There were no differences in the total leukocyte count between the groups (DMT1-6,91 ± 1,32.109/l; DMT2-7,28 ± 1,85.109/l; controls-6,89 ± 1,07.109/l). The results from the flowcytometric investigation showed significantly higher absolute number of T-all lymph (CD3+), Th lymph (CD4+) and all NK (CD3\ CD16+/CD56), as well as a lower absolute number of Ts (CD8+) and B (CD19+) lymph among the diabetic patients compared to healthy subjects. The Th/Ts ratio in patients with DMT1 (2,02 ± 0,44) and DMT2 (2,36 ± 0,37) was also significantly higher compared to ratio of controls (1,02 ± 0,06). No significant differences were noted in the lymph subpopulations between the two groups with DM. Conclusions: Changes of lymph types in peripheral blood in diabetic patients demonstrate immune activation and dysregulation among the two types of diabetes.