Phagocytic Activity of Patients with a Diabetic Foot in Wasit Province, Iraq

Diabetes mellitus has been known as a common disease that leads to many comorbid conditions. One of these common conditions is the diabetic foot which increases infections risk. This study was aimed to investigate phagocytic activity in patients with a diabetic foot.

This study was carried out on 150 patients with a diabetic foot in al-Zahraa and al-Karama Teaching Hospitals, Iraq from January 2017 to January 2020. A total of 150 samples was collected for 3 groups (50 participants in each group). Blood samples were transferred into EDTA tubes, then 5ml of blood were pipetted in a plain tube. Thereafter, 0.5ml of working nitro blue tetrazolium solution  was prepared by mixing an equal volume of 0.2% nitro blue tetrazolium solution with phosphate-buffered saline. Next, the plain tube was incubated at 37°C for 15 minutes in a water bath before being left for another 15 minutes at room temperature. A blood smear from the prepared mixture was then stained using Gemza stain. Finally, 100 neutrophils were randomly calculated, and the positive with formazan phenomena appear with blue-black granules were counted out of 100 cells. The statistical data analysis was performed with SPSS 22 using  t-test.

The phagocytic activity was significantly higher in healthy control individuals (14.10±3.96) compared to DM1 (10.54±3.60) and DM2 (11.88±3.54) (p<0.05). There was a significant difference between the control group with DM1 (p=0.448, F=0.58), and DM2 (p=0.314. F=1.02) in term of phagocytes activity.

There is a clear reduction of phagocytic activity in patients with both types of diabetes mellitus with a diabetic foot comparing the healty group.