Glycation of Granulocyte and Monocyte Membrane Proteins in Diabetic Patients

Authors: Yaşar DEMİR, Nazan DEMİR, Ebubekir BAKAN, Ö. İrfan KÜFREVİOĞLU, Mehmet GÜNDOĞDU

Abstract: Some proteins in plasma and tissues, having long life, undergo nonenzymatic glycation as a result of high blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. Granulocyte and monocyte membrane proteins are such proteins, resulting in possible granulocyte and monocyte dysfunction in these patients. On the basis of this possibility, blood samples were taken from 15 diabetics (Type-I, 14-69 years) and 15 healthy subjects, and the granulocytes and monocytes were isolated from whole blood with the Histopaque-1119 method. Following cell destruction, peripheral (inner and outer) and integral plasma membrane proteins were separated. Protein content and their glycation were determined in these fractions. The results were given as mMFructosamine/mg protein. A statistically significant high glycation was found in integral proteins in diabetic granulocytes and monocytes (P<0.0001 for both). Similarly, a statistically significant high glycation was found in outher peripheral proteins in diabetic monocytes (P<0.0001). Inner peripheral proteins in the patients and the controls showed no difference (in both granulocytes and monocytes). It was concluded that a relationship may be present between granulocyte and monocyte dysfunction and their membrane protein glyctation.

Keywords: protein glycation, granulocyte dysfunction, monocyte dysfunction, membrane proteins