Tsai JC-R et al. (2006) Association of peripheral total and differential leukocyte counts with metabolic syndrome and risk of ischemic cardiovascular diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Metab Res Rev [doi: 10.1002/dmrr.647]

There is a positive association between leukocyte counts and vascular complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), such as carotid atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and mortality from coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. It is thought that leukocytes might also contribute to the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis. Researchers in Taiwan have investigated the association of white blood cell counts with presence of the metabolic syndrome and ischemic macrovascular diseases (including coronary artery and ischemic cerebrovascular diseases) in patients with T2DM.

The study enrolled 1,872 patients with T2DM who entered a disease management program between January 2002 and December 2004. In total, 1,367 patients (73%) met the criteria for the metabolic syndrome, 122 (7%) had coronary artery disease and 111 (6%) had ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Patients were divided into quartiles according to total white blood cell, neutrophil, monocyte, and lymphocyte counts. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome alone and particular components of the metabolic syndrome (central obesity, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL cholesterol levels) were significantly associated with peripheral total and differential leukocyte counts (Ptrend <0.05). Ischemic macrovascular diseases were also associated with increasing quartiles of total and differential leukocyte count (all P <0.01).

The authors conclude that peripheral total and differential leukocyte counts seem to be associated with a clustering of metabolic syndrome components and ischemic macrovascular diseases in patients with T2DM.