Neutrophil and monocyte adherence in diabetes mellitus, alcoholic cirrhosis, uraemia and elderly patients.

ABSTRACT

The neutrophil and monocyte adherence were assessed in patients with diseases which predispose them to increased risk of infections. Neutrophil adherence was found to be markedly impaired in diabetes mellitus, alcoholic cirrhosis and uraemia. Monocyte adherence was also depressed in patients with diabetes mellitus and alcoholic cirrhosis, but not in patients with uraemia. Thus, the increased susceptibility of these categories of patients to infection can be explained in part by a defect in adherence. In contrast, neutrophil and monocyte adherence in elderly patients were comparable to that in healthy young adults, which confirms previous observations that the age-dependent decline in immunological function affects mainly the T and B cell systems.