Effect of hyperglycemia on the immune function of COVID-19 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a retrospective study

PURPOSE: To analyze the clinical characteristics and immune function parameters and to explore the effect of hyperglycemia on the immune function in patients with Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with COVID-19 with T2DM hospitalized in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University between January 31, 2020, and February 10, 2020. The clinical data were collected and patients were divided into a well-controlled group (blood glucose 3.9–10.0 mmol/L) and a poorly-controlled group (blood glucose >10.0 mmol/L). The differences in routine blood tests, peripheral lymphocyte subsets, humoral immune components, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and cytokines were compared, and the correlation between blood glucose and immune parameters as well as the severity of the disease was analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 65 patients with COVID-19 and T2DM were included in the final analysis. Compared with the well-controlled group, patients in the poorly-controlled group had decreased lymphocytes, CD16(+) 56(+) NK cells, CD3(+) T cells, CD8(+) T cells and increased neutrophil percentage, IL-6 levels, CRP levels and serum concentration of IgA. Blood glucose was inversely correlated with CD16(+) 56(+) NK cells, CD3(+) T cells, CD4(+) T cells, and CD8(+) T cells and positively correlated with IL-6 and CRP levels. There was a positive correlation between blood glucose and the severity of the COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Hyperglycemia will aggravate the immune dysfunction of COVID-19 patients with T2DM and affect the severity of COVID-19.