Research suggests a cell type linked to allergic inflammation is closely linked to diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease) for men with type 2 diabetes.
In the study, the researchers compared the eosinophil count with albumin excretion rate in nearly 800 patients with type 2 diabetes. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that contributes to inflammation in allergic diseases. The albumin excretion rate is a key indicator of kidney disease, one of the major complications of diabetes.
Image: Serum Albumin with lipid molecules.
A higher number of eosinophils in the blood correlates with higher urinealbumin in men, a critical early sign of diabetic kidney disease. The link between eosinophil count and albumin excretion rate was even stronger than for known risk factors like high blood pressure and poor diabetes control. The eosinophil count was unrelated to albumin excretion in women with diabetes.
Previous studies have suggested that patients with asthma and other allergic diseases are at increased risk of heart disease. Heart disease is the main cause of death in diabetes, and nephropathy is a major risk factor for heart disease. If the results are confirmed by future studies, then the eosinophil count might help in estimating the risk of diabetes related kidney and heart disease in men.
The study can’t prove any cause-and-effect relationship between eosinophil count and albumin excretion rate. More research will be needed to determine why the relationship was found only in men, and whether a similar link is also present in patients without diabetes.
“Allergy is a common disease that is increasing worldwide, so our findings may have important implications for diabetic nephropathy,” says study author Michiaki Fukui.
References:
1. Michiaki Fukui, et al. Eosinophil Count Is Positively Correlated with Albumin Excretion Rate in Men with Type 2 Diabetes. Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., first published on October 1, 2009 as doi: doi:10.2215/CJN.03330509.
