title: Respiratory tract infections in diabetic and non-diabetic individuals are linked with serum surfactant protein-D.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find out the rate of respiratory tract infections in diabetic and non-diabetic individuals and their relation with surfactant protein D.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cross-sectional study was conducted at Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, from September 2011 to April 2012, and comprised subjects of both genders between ages of 30 and 60 years. The subjects were divided into four groups: diabetic obese, non-diabetic obese, diabetic non-obese, and non-diabetic-non-obese. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information about respiratory tract infections. Serum surfactant protein D levels were analysed using human surfactant protein D enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 16.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 90 subjects, there were 20(22.2%) diabetic obese, 30(33.3%) non-diabetic obese, 10(11.1%) diabetic non-obese, and 30(33.3%) non-diabetic-non-obese. The overall mean age was 36.6±103 years. Among the diabetic obese, 15(75%) had respiratory tract infections which was higher than the other study groups, and patients having respiratory tract infections had lower surfactant protein D levels than those who did not have infections (p=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diabetic obese subjects had greater rate of recurrent respiratory tract infections and had lower concentration of serum surfactant protein D compared to subjects without respiratory tract infections.
authors.affiliation: Department: Physiology, Islam Medical & Dental College, Sialkot, Karachi.
authors.forename: Shireen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jawed
authors.affiliation: Final Year MBBS Student, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Karachi.
authors.forename: Marium
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saeed
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Liaquat National Medical College, Karachi.
authors.forename: Naila
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Parveen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D037663:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D / Q000097:blood*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D037663:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D
keywords: SP-D, Innate immunity, Diabetes mellitus, Respiratory tract infections.