Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Associated with Premature Aging

Background A decrease of naive T-cells and a concomitant increase in memory cells are the accepted consequences of aging on the adaptive immune system. Objectives The current case-control study aimed at considering the impact of chronic hyperglycemia that leads to glycation of modified self proteins on aging via the memory cell percentages among the patients admitted to the endocrinology department of Bulent Ecevit University Hospital in Zonguldak province, Turkey, from September to October 2015. Methods Blood samples were collected from 81 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and 39 healthy volunteers with no history of autoimmune diseases or chronic inflammatory disorders, based on the purposive sampling method. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on the presence and absence of the diabetic microvascular complications. Diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy were investigated according to the American Diabetes Association criteria. T-lymphocytes subpopulations were measured in peripheral blood by the flow cytometry. CD27, CD45 RO, and CD45 RA were used to discriminate naive and memory T-cells (CD4⁺ and CD8⁺). Data for each subpopulation were reported as a percentage of the total CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ cells. Results The mean percentage of naive (CD45RA + CD27+) and memory (CD45RO + CD27+ central memory and CD45RO + CD27- effector memory cells) CD4⁺ T-cells in patients with type 2 DM and healthy controls were 26.73 ± 15.04, 19.21 ± 10.80, 31.35 ± 10.94, and 15.07 ± 6.97, respectively. A decrease in the naive and an increase in memory CD4⁺ T-cell proportion were found in patients with type 2 DM, compared to the healthy controls (P values = 0.031 and 0.018, respectively). Conclusions Higher memory and lower naive CD4⁺ T-cells probably reflect thr accelerated aging of the adaptive immune system in patients with type 2 diabetes.