Severe sepsis and diabetes mellitus have additive effects on red blood cell deformability

• Published in: The Journal of infection 2008-08, Vol.57 (2), p.147-151
• Main Authors: Moutzouri, A.G, Athanassiou, G.A, Dimitropoulou, D, Skoutelis, A.T, Gogos, C.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacterial diseases; Bacterial sepsis; Biological and medical sciences; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus - pathology; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Diabetic Nephropathies - blood; Diabetic Nephropathies - etiology; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Erythrocyte Deformability; Erythrocytes - pathology; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Female; General aspects; Hemorheometer; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious Disease; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; RBC deformability; Sepsis; Sepsis - complications; Sepsis - mortality; Shock, Septic - complications
• ISSN: 0163-4453; 1532-2742
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2008.04.004

Summary Objectives Diabetes mellitus is accompanied by microvascular complications leading to organ dysfunction, while sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetics. We addressed the hypothesis that red blood cell (RBC) deformability may be additively compromised in septic diabetic patients, leading to a further impairment of microcirculation. Methods Forty patients suffering from severe sepsis, 12 patients suffering from diabetes and 24 diabetic patients with severe sepsis were enrolled. A filtration method and a hemorheometer were used to measure the RBCs' index of rigidity (IR). Results We observed no differences in severity, organ dysfunction and outcome between diabetic and non-diabetic septic patients. Mean SAPS II score was 23.5% vs 26.8% in non-diabetic and diabetic septic patients, respectively. The mortality in non-diabetic septic patients was 22.5% and in septic diabetics was 34.3%, while septic shock occurred in 15.0% and 20.8%, respectively. We detected higher IR (17.72 ± 6.31) in septic diabetics than in patients with diabetes and no sepsis (12.26 ± 2.28, p ≤ 0.001) and in patients with sepsis and no diabetes (13.9 ± 2.86, p ≤ 0.01). Conclusion The presence of diabetes mellitus seems to affect the already compromised RBC deformability of septic patients, probably leading to serious microcirculatory functional impairments in septic diabetic patients.