Effect of Age on Apoptosis and Necrosis of Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes in Sample of Iraqi Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder usually in adults, resulting from insulin insufficiency or function. Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes (PBLs) are the key components of the body's defenses which offer resistance against infective micro-organisms. Aging is an extremely intricate process related with declines in renewing potential plus adaptive reactions to stress. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of age on apoptosis and necrosis of peripheral blood lymphocytes in a sample of T2DM Iraqi patients. Venous blood (4 ml) was collected in heparinized tubes under optimal condition and processed for peripheral blood lymphocytes separation by density-gradient centrifugation with lymphocyte separation medium. Apoptotic and necrotic lymphocytes were detected by using dual acridine orange / ethidium bromide staining and fluorescence microscopy, and the relationship between apoptosis, and necrosis with age of volunteers was analysis by using static methods. The morphological observations of lymphocytes from diabetic patients showed morphological features consistent with apoptosis more than control. Peripheral blood lymphocytes apoptosis and necrosis of T2DM patients showed significantly higher (P<0.01) when compared to control, whereas the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) apoptosis percentage reached to the maximum value (50.52 %), at age group more than 60 years of T2DM patients, however necrosis percentage reached to (21.8 %).It can be concluded that  high blood glucose in poorly controlled diabetes disease is concomitant with increase rate of apoptosis and necrosis of PBLs which can be considered as a marker of severity for this disease.