A study on serum lactoferrin in type 2 diabetic with recurrent and chronic skin and soft tissue infection

الملخص EN

Background: Diabetes mellitus is commonly associated with skin and soft tissue infection, which may be a consequence of altered immune system in DM.

Lactoferrin, a naturally occurring protein, is suggested to play a role in general defense against bacterial infections.

Objective: to study the possible relation between skin and soft tissue infectins in patients with type 2 DM and serum lactoferrin level.

Study Design: the study was conducted on 50 subjects recruited from Ain Shams University Hospital, 40 diabetic patients; 20 patients with type 2 DM with no skin or soft tissue infections & 20 type 2 diabetic patients with skin or soft tissue infections and 10 healthy subjects were selected as a control group.

All subjects were subjected to full history, glycemic indices including FBG, PPG and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), bacterial culture & direct staining in patients with infection, and serum lactoferrin level by ELISA.

Results: Diabetic patients with infection had significant poorer glycemic control (FBG 303.5 + 102.95 mg / dl PPG 340.8 + 32.61 mg/dl & HbA1c ( 12.31 + 1.4%) compared to diabetic patients without infection (FBG 201.2 + 83.97 mg / dl, PPG 249.3 + 79.49 ng /dl & HbA1c 10.06 + 1.71%).

Lactoferrin was significantly lower in the group with infection (201.14 + 80.91 ng /dl) than in the diabetic without infection ( 293.75 + 72.88 ng/dl) and the control group (410.6 + 83.39 mg /dl) P<0.01.

Non-significant correlation was detected in this study between serum lactoferrin level and all glycemic indices (FBG, PPG and HbA1c).