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Macrophages in diabetes mellitus (DM) and COVID-19: do they trigger DM?

Małgorzata Kloc1,2,3, Rafik M Ghobrial1,2, Sławomir Lewicki4

  • 1The Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6670 Bertner Ave, Houston, TX 77030 USA.

Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders
|October 26, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Diabetes mellitus (DM) increases severe COVID-19 risk by altering immune cells like monocytes and macrophages. Understanding these changes in type 1 and type 2 diabetes is crucial for managing SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Endocrinology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Diabetes mellitus (DM) is linked to increased hospitalization and mortality from infections, including viral epidemics like SARS-CoV-2.
  • COVID-19 severity is notably higher in diabetic patients compared to non-diabetic individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To overview the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the heightened risk of severe COVID-19 in diabetic patients.
  • To explore the distinct immune cell alterations in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) concerning SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • To investigate how DM-associated changes in monocyte/macrophage function may contribute to severe COVID-19 outcomes and potentially initiate DM.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing clinical data and scientific literature on diabetes mellitus and infectious diseases.
  • Focus on cellular and molecular mechanisms involving innate immune response and inflammatory processes.
  • Analysis of monocyte and macrophage function alterations in T1DM and T2DM.

Main Results:

  • Diabetic patients exhibit a higher incidence of severe COVID-19 outcomes.
  • Specific alterations in monocytes and macrophages, differing between T1DM and T2DM, are implicated in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2.
  • Dysfunctional immune cells may contribute to severe COVID-19 and potentially influence DM susceptibility.

Conclusions:

  • Immune cell dysregulation in diabetes mellitus significantly impacts the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is vital for developing targeted interventions for diabetic patients during viral epidemics.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the role of these immune changes in DM initiation.
Keywords:
COVID-19Diabetes mellitusMacrophagesSARS-CoV-2

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