Immunodeficiency in DM

[John Cherwonogrodzky]

Dear Kenichiro Kashihara:
     You may get a few replies on how diabetes influences the immune response 
as a result of high glucose affecting white blood cells and hence antigen 
processing and immunological response.
     However, I'd like to add perhaps a novel "twist" to this occurrence. 
Possibly hormones play a direct role on micro-organisms. In the case of 
diabetes, it has been found that Pseudomonas pseudomallei is inhibited by 
insulin. People with normal insulin levels are more resistant to infection 
(D.E. Woods et al., 1993, Interaction of insulin with Pseudomonas 
pseudomallei, Infection and Immunity, 61(1)4045-4050). In a reverse situation, 
in the case of brucellosis, the bacterium grows better in the presence of 
reproductive hormones and causes a stimulation of these hormones after the 5th 
month of pregnancy in cattle (Samartino and Enright, 1991, 45th Annual 
brucellosis Conference, Chicago). Hormones may play a role directly on the 
invading bacteria rather than on the host.
     Hope this helps...John