Hyper immunoglobulinemia as a possible consequence of long standing hyperglycemia

ABSTRACT

Serum concentrations of immunoglobulins G,A and M have been shown to be elevated in patients with Type I diabetes and it is concluded that this hyperimmunoglobulinemia may be due to an underlying immunoinflammatory process which could play a role in the genesis of Type I DM and its complications or may be a complication of hyperglycemia per se. It is known that nonenzymatic glycosylotion of plasma and structural proteins is enhanced in diabetes mellitus. It has appeal to postulate that this modification may render these proteins immunogenic and hence act as a chronic stimulus for induction of polyclonal increases in serum immunoglobulins. To assess this possibility we measured serum immunoglobulins in Type II diabetes mellitus, a disease in which autoimmune processes are not believed to be operative in pathogenesis, and compared the levels with those obtained for appropriate controls. While there was no significant difference in mean protein concentrations between the two groups, the mean values of serum levels of immunoglobulins in the diabetic patients [n,50] were significantly higher [IgG.p < 0.01; IgA, P< 0.05; IgM, P<0.01] than the values obtained for the control group [n,50]. Our findings are suggestive that hyperimmunoglobulinemia may possibly be a complication of diabetes mellitus