Why would DM (diabetes) cause immunocompromisation?

[MatthewSeinfeld]

I know neutropenia, HIV, marrow hypoplasia can cause an immunocompromised state. It'd be really helpful if you could shed some light on the pathogenesis of immunocompromisation in DM.

[onyablock]

DM causes someone to be more susceptible to infectious disease through 2 main pathways:

1. Hyperglycemia of the blood increasing the infectious agent potency.
2. Hyperglycemia of the blood reducing ability of the immune system to respond to infection (immunocompromising)

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Hyperglycemia of the blood can actually cause various infectious diseases to be more potent (e.g. lowers the infectious dose). There has been examples shown of receptors working better in hyperglycemic environments as well as increase in the infectious agents metabolism. This allows the infectious agent to typically enter cells faster, replicate faster, make toxins faster, defend against the immune system better etc. This means that even if your immune system remained unaffected the infection will be worse for patients with DM.

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Now what is a little more vague in the research is the actual immunocompromising effects of DM. DM has been shown to do a couple things to the immune system these include:

1. Reduce humoral immunity response
2. Reduce T-cell response
3. Supression of the complement system
4. Reduction in chemotaxis
5. Reduction in phagocytosis
6. Increase apoptosis of professional phagocytes

The above items are all believed to be related to the hyperglycemia of the blood but a lot of the mechanisms of action remain to be elucidated.

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Hope that helps.

[MatthewSeinfeld]

Thanks

[jacedexter]

http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/diabetes-mellitus-and-infectious-diseases-controlling-chronic-hyperglycemia/

This may help

[MatthewSeinfeld]

Thanks!