Comparison of Lymphocyte Number and Their Subsets in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Type II, Tuberculosis and Concomitant TB and Diabetes

Diabetics are prone to tuberculosis infection in part due to cellular immunity dysfunction, but the precise mechanism has not been fully understood yet. This study was performed in NRITLD between August 1999 and August 2001 to elucidate the quantitative status of cellular immunity. We measured the number of B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, Natural Killer (NK) cells, and their sub-units in three groups of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and pulmonary tuberculosis associated with DM (TB+ DM); and compared their results with age - matched healthy controls. The number of these cells had not significant quantitative difference in TB and also DM patients comparing with healthy controls. A significant difference in total number of T lymphocytes and sub- units of helper T cell was observed in patients with concomitant TB and DM. These results indicate that patients with diabetes mellitus type II do not quantitatively develop cellular immunity dysfunction, a finding that may be seen in patients with concomitant TB and DM. (Tanaffos 2002; 1(4): 45-50)