Reduced blood leukocyte and neutrophil numbers in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes

• Published in: Hormone and metabolic research Vol. 45; no. 6; p. 467
• Main Authors: Harsunen, M H, Puff, R, D'Orlando, O, Giannopoulou, E, Lachmann, L, Beyerlein, A, von Meyer, A, Ziegler, A-G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.06.2013
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child, Preschool; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - immunology; Female; Humans; Leukocyte Count; Leukocytes - cytology; Leukocytes - immunology; Male; Middle Aged; Neutrophils - cytology; Neutrophils - immunology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1439-4286
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1331226

Very little is known about the role of the innate immune system in the course of human type 1 diabetes. Here we investigated neutrophil numbers along with other leukocyte populations in patients at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and during prediabetes. Complete and differential blood counts were analyzed from 107 adult patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes, 21 children with persistent islet autoantibodies and a family history of type 1 diabetes, and 1 238 age and gender matched control subjects, all individuals without any signs of acute infection.Adult patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes had significantly lower total WBC (p<1×10⁻⁶), neutrophil (p<1×10⁻⁶), basophil (p<1×10⁻⁶), monocyte (p=4×10⁻⁶) and lymphocyte (p<1×10⁻⁶) counts compared to control subjects. Erythrocyte, eosinophil and platelet counts did not differ between groups. Similarly, children with persistent islet autoantibodies had decreased WBC (p=0.001), neutrophils (p=0.003), and lymphocytes (p=0.006) in comparison to control children. Our findings demonstrate a perturbation of leukocyte homeostasis at and prior to onset of type 1 diabetes suggesting a general involvement of the innate immune system in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes.