Respiratory Burst Process in Diabetic Children.
BACKGROUND
Increased rate of infections in diabetes mellitus (DM) is an accepted fact. Pathophysiologically, several tasks of the immune system could be involved including polymorphonuclear (PMN) functions.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this research was to evaluate the respiratory burst process of PMNs that is an essential part of phagocytosis, in children with DM.


METHODS
Fifty two children with insulin dependent diabetes and 29 non-diabetic children were enrolled in this cross sectional study from 2010 to 2011. Nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) test was done on PMNs taken from their heparinized blood. The resultant data was analyzed by SPSS version 16. P values were considered significant when it was under 0.05.


RESULTS
Mean NBTs were 72.1 ± 15.84 and 94.68 ± 5.31 in diabetics and non-diabetics, respectively (P < 0.001). Using Pearson correlation, there was no significant correlation between the NBT level and age, gender, duration of diabetes, daily insulin usage and blood HbA1C level.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared to non-diabetics, respiratory burst process of polymorphonuclears is obviously decreased in diabetic children. This can explain one of the mechanisms involved in the increased rate of infections in DM.
Professor Alborzi Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
Anahita
A
Sanaei Dashti
Department of Microbiology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Soodabeh
S
Taheri
Department of Anesthesiology, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
Reza
R
Jouybar
Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Mohammadreza
M
Hashemnia
Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Abdollah
A
Karimi
Professor Alborzi Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
Seyed Abdolmajid
SA
Shoja
Diabetes Mellitus; Neutrophils; Nitrobluetetrazolium; Respiratory Burst