Blood group, secretor status and oral carriage of yeasts among patients with diabetes mellitus.
The inability to secrete the water-soluble glycoprotein form of the ABO blood group antigens is a genetic characteristic associated with susceptibility to superficial fungal infections and also insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). As oral carriage of Candida albicans in healthy adults is associated with non-secretion, we examined oral carriage of yeasts among 275 patients attending diabetic outpatient clinics, 137 with IDDM and 138 with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) with reference to ABO blood group, secretor status and yeast species. Of the 166 yeast isolates, 109 (66.7%) were C. albicans, a lower proportion compared with 94% reported for healthy individuals. There was no association between ABO blood group and carriage. There was no increase in the proportion of non-secretor carriers of C. albicans among patients with IDDM; but among those with NIDDM, 44% of non-secretors were carriers compared with 21% who were non-carriers (p less than 0.01). The results are discussed in the context of host-parasite interactions influencing colonization.
Blackwell
C C
CC
Department of Bacteriology, Medical School, University of Edinburgh, UK.
Aly
F Z
FZ
James
V S
VS
Weir
D M
DM
Collier
A
A
Patrick
A W
AW
Cumming
C G
CG
Wray
D
D
Clarke
B F
BF
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002353:Carrier State; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D006801:Humans; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D012016:Reference Values
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System