Attenuated neutrophil respiratory burst following acute hypoglycaemia in diabetic patients and normal subjects

The effects of insulin-induced hypoglycaemia on the neutrophil respiratory burst were investigated in six patients with type 1 diabetes and six non-diabetic control subjects. Plasma glucose reached similar nadirs in control subjects (0.9±0.1 mmol l^–1; mean±SEM) and diabetic patients (1.2±0.2 mmol l^–1) (NS). The resting neutrophil respiratory burst was similar in control subjects (1.26±0.15 mV) and diabetic patients (1.03±0.18 mV) (NS). The neutrophil respiratory burst fell following hypoglycaemia in control subjects and diabetic patients to 0.38±0.05 mV (P<0.001) and 0.54±0.09 mV (P<0.05), respectively. This fall was significantly greater in control subjects (ANOVA; P<0.001). Resting neutrophil counts were not significantly different in control subjects (3.2±0.3×10⁹ l^–1) and diabetic patients (6.1±1.5×10⁹ l^–1). Following hypoglycaemia, neutrophil numbers increased in control subjects and diabetic patients to 11.5±1.4×10⁹ l^–1 (P<0.01) and 9.7±1.7×10⁹ l^–1 (P<0.05), respectively. This increase was significantly greater in control subjects (ANOVA; P<0.001). These results suggest that the neutrophil respiratory burst is suppressed in response to hypoglycaemia and that this phenomenon is more pronounced in non-diabetic subjects. Received: 28 March 1997 / Accepted in revised form: 31 July 1997