DECREASED POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTE DEFORMABILITY IN NIDDM

OBJECTIVE - To determine the theological properties of polymorphonucle ar leukocytes (PMN) from non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDD M) patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - The deformability of PMN fr om 33 NIDDM subjects, 13 with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and 22 with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) was studied. A Cell Transit Analy zer that measures the transit time of PMN through 8-mu m pores was use d. Studies were performed under three different conditions: 1) basal s tate; 2) after incubation with cytochalasin B (20 mu M) to dissociate f-actin from the cytoskeleton; and 3) following activation with N-form yl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP, 1 nM). RESULTS - I)MN from di abetic patients were more rigid (i.e., had longer transit time) than t hose from subjects with NGT or IGT under basal conditions and after cy tochalasin B, but not after stimulation with fMLP. The deformability o f PMN from subjects with IGT was similar to those of the NGT group. In the pooled data, basal transit time correlated with age; systolic and diastolic blood pressure; HbA(1c); and serum creatinine, cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations (r = 0.29, 0.34, 0.37, 0.48, 0.25, 0. 36, 0.29, respectively, P < 0.05 for each). Hypertensive diabetic pati ents had less deformable PMN than normotensive ones. No relation was f ound between PMN deformability and the duration of diabetes, type of t reatment, or the presence of retinopathy. CONCLUSIONS - These data ind icate increased rigidity of PMN in NIDDM that may contribute to develo pment of microcirculatory disturbances and microangiopathy.