Chemotaxis of Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes from Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

With a new in vitro method of measuring the chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes from peripheral blood, a chemotactic index was calculated. The mean chemotactic index in 31 patients with diabetes mellitus was significantly less (p less than 0.0005) than that in 31 matched controls. The defect in chemotaxis could not be correlated with plasma insulin, plasma glucose, serum carbon dioxide and blood urea nitrogen values, or with any therapeutic agents. Incubation of the leukocytes from 11 normals with glucose in concentrations of 300 to 900 mg per 100 ml did not alter indexes. The defect in chemotaxis of the diabetic leukocyte was corrected by incubation of the cells with insulin in concentrations of 100 μU to 10 mU per milliliter. Insulin with phenol was less effective than insulin without preservative. Insulin was ineffective in the absence of glucose. It is suggested that this defect in the chemotaxis of diabetic leukocytes could contribute to increased infections in these patients.