Infection and Diabetes

tients are at higher risk for various infections than nondiabetic patients. Reviews of this subject have concluded that data supporting a higher risk for many infections in diabetes are inadequate . Immunologic research has, however, demonstrated several defects in host immune defense mechanisms in diabetic subjects. Phagocytic capabilities of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) are adversely affected by hyperglycemia in rat models. Several PMN defects occur in diabetic subjects, including impaired migration, phagocytosis, intracellular killing, and chemotaxis, which may be due to decreased PMN membrane fluidity. Generalized immunologic defects such as these raise the suspicion that diabetic patients may be at an overall increased risk for infection.