SIMILAR ALTERATIONS OF LYMPHOCYTE SUBPOPULATIONS IN TYPE-I AND TYPE-II DIABETES

Peripheral blood lymphocytes of diabetes mellitus patients were analyz ed by flow-cytometry using monoclonal antibodies directed against cell surface markers present in T- and B-cells, monocytes and natural kill er cells. The lymphocyte subsets were quantified and expressed in an a bsolute amount. The study included 17 patients with type I (insulin-de pendent), 21 patients with type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes an d 40 age-matched control subjects. Quantification of the cells present within different lymphocyte subsets revealed a general increase in bo th patient groups compared to their controls, with the exception of ac tivated T-cells. However, no significant difference was found in the r elative amount of T-helper cells and T-suppressor/cytotoxic cells of t he diabetes patients when they were compared with their control groups . The fact that we found similar changes in lymphocyte subsets in both type I and type II diabetes suggests that the altered immunological s tate is secondary to the diabetes mellitus in general.